cotton candy may help labs grow tissues

[Amby 490]

Cotton candy has delighted children for a century. Now it may have found a new role: helping scientists grow replacement tissues for people. The flossy stuff may be just right for creating networks of blood vessels within laboratory-grown bone, skin, muscle or fat for breast reconstruction, researchers suggest.

Dr. Jason Spector of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York and Leon Bellan of Cornell University present their preliminary research in a paper published online this week by the journal Soft Matter.

Here's how their technique would work:

First, you pour a thick liquid chemical over a wad of cotton candy. Let the liquid solidify into a chunk, and put that in warm water to dissolve the candy. That leaves tiny channels where the strands of candy used to be. So you have a chunk of material with a network of fine channels within.

Next, line these channels with cells to create artificial blood vessels. And seed the solid chunk with immature cells of whatever tissue you're trying to make. The block is biodegradable, and as it disappears, it will gradually be replaced by growing tissue. In the end, you get a piece of tissue permeated with tiny blood vessels.

So far, the researchers have made these blocks of material and run rat blood through the channels within. While they may eventually switch to something other than cotton candy as the research proceeds, Bellan said he hopes to stick with the inexpensive stuff as long as possible.

Spector, who keeps a jar of jelly beans on his desk, said he enjoys cotton candy and that with this project, "it's taken on a whole new meaning."

But don't offer any of the stuff to his research partner.

"I actually hate cotton candy," Bellan said. "It's disgusting. I won't eat it."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../a105311S55.DTL

[Peikko 1,575]

Now that's clever - I agree with Bellan though

[Amby 490]

bump cos this is neat

[Marilyn. 340]

is it weird if an adult still likes cotton candy?

i don't eat it very often, usually only on the rare occasion when we go to a baseball game..

[DeadPoolX 9]

is it weird if an adult still likes cotton candy?

i don't eat it very often, usually only on the rare occasion when we go to a baseball game..

I can see a market for this already...

Cotton candy grows tissues. Women like to eat cotton candy. Man uses cotton candy to help grow tissues. Woman still likes to "eat" cotton candy.

[almaty 19]

lol..clever thinking

[Shad and Dani 3]

is it weird if an adult still likes cotton candy?

i don't eat it very often, usually only on the rare occasion when we go to a baseball game..

I can see a market for this already...

Cotton candy grows tissues. Women like to eat cotton candy. Man uses cotton candy to help grow tissues. Woman still likes to "eat" cotton candy.

Damn I love me some cotton candy. And Dippin Dots!!

[Amby 490]

lol..clever thinking

I think it's a pretty clever idea too

[HAL 9000 96]

Just recently got to work with something similar in lab used to grow stem cells. The stem cells were #######, but the matrix was cool.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Just recently got to work with something similar in lab used to grow stem cells. The stem cells were #######, but the matrix was cool.

Only the first movie; the other two should never have been made.

Edited February 12, 2009 by DeadPoolX

[Amby 490]

Just recently got to work with something similar in lab used to grow stem cells. The stem cells were #######, but the matrix was cool.

cool! i'm coming to work with you on take your kid to work day

[HAL 9000 96]

Just recently got to work with something similar in lab used to grow stem cells. The stem cells were #######, but the matrix was cool.

cool! i'm coming to work with you on take your kid to work day

I'll be presenting Amby around as my kid.

Not that old!!!

[Amby 490]

Just recently got to work with something similar in lab used to grow stem cells. The stem cells were #######, but the matrix was cool.

cool! i'm coming to work with you on take your kid to work day

I'll be presenting Amby around as my kid.

Not that old!!!

It's ok since I still look pretty young