A team of molecular scientists and bioengineers in Britain is attempting to mend broken hearts by growing sheets of tissue with beating cells which can be injected and sprayed onto diseased hearts. (Feb. 14)
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Paris - Feb. 14 2013
1. Wide of street scene cut to heart
London - Feb. 14 2013
2. Inside lab
3. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Anastasis Stephanou, University College London (Transcript Below)
4. Various labs scenes
5.SOUNDBITE: Dr. Suwan Jayasinghe, bioengineer, University College London (Transcript Below)
6. Various lab scenes
VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:
SCIENTISTS IN LONDON ARE CHALLENGING THE NOTION THAT ONLY TIME CAN MEND A BROKEN HEART.
NO - NOT THAT KIND OF BROKEN HEART, BUT RATHER ONE THAT COULD OTHERWISE PROVE FATAL.
A TEAM OF BIOENGINEERS AND MOLECULAR SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING ON A WAY TO GROW SHEETS OF OF TISSUE WITH BEATING CELLS WHICH CAN BE INJECTED AND SPRAYED ONTO DISEASED HEARTS.
SOUNDBITE: (English): Dr. Anastasis Stephanou, University College London
"So our research will come into where we could engineer cardiac, or heart tissue beating, where the surgeons then could replace the damaged heart with these cardiac tissues that we've built."
THE PROCESS COULD BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR HEART ATTACK VICTIMS WHEN A CLOT IN AN ARTERY STARVES THE HEART OF OXYGEN AND THE BEATING CELLS WHICH FORCE THE HEART TO PUMP SIMPLY DIE.
THE IDEA IS THAT DOCTORS WOULD THEN INJECT OR SPRAY THE NEW CELLS TO REPLACE THE DEAD ONES, THUS REJUVENATING THE HEART.
SOUNDBITE (English): Dr. Suwan Jayasinghe, bioengineer, University College London
"Maybe I'm the only one who's scared of going under the knife, but I certainly would like if I were to have a cardiac problem, to be able to address that just by inserting a charged needle into my heart, for example and then possibly shooting a repair cell type."
BUT IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS.
EACH BEATING CELL MUST BE PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH A TINY NETWORK OF BLOOD VESSELS TO GET THE ENERGY THEY NEED.
THEN TOGETHER THESE CELLS AND VESSELS MUST SIT PRECISELY WITHIN A NETWORK OF PROTEINS.
THE PROCEDURE IS STILL IN THE RESEARCH PHASE BUT SCIENTISTS HOPE TO START BASIC TRIALS BEFORE TOO LONG.
SIGOUT - Name/Associated Press
