Decellularized Mouse Heart. Image Credit: Lu et. al

Recently, a team of scientists created lab-grown human heart tissue that can beat on its own. This research was just published in a new study in Nature Communications; however, it stems from work started in 2008.

Some six years ago, a University of Minnesota study showed that the original cells from a rat heart could be completely flushed out of the heart in a process called "decellularization." After this process is completed, the old rat cells can be replaced by rat cells from a newborn as a means of regenerating the heart.

Now, this process has allowed scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to grow working human heart tissue within the decellurized structure of a mouse heart.

WATCH: Lab-Grown Heart Beats By Itself

Next, the team hopes to create just a portion of the heart, which could be used to replace parts of a damaged heart. Eventually, this could lead to personalized organ transplants.

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