Article: 'Spaghetti' to bypass rescue; Synthetic artery gets surgeons pumped.(News)

Aman-made artery that behaves just like the real thing could transform heart bypass surgery. The British invention looks like a piece of spaghetti and is coated with a space-age mixture that stops it from becoming blocked once it has been implanted.

Previous attempts to manufacture synthetic arteries have been hampered by the fact that they quickly become clogged. The body recognises them as foreign and, thinking it has suffered an injury, dispatches special blood cells called platelets. Their job is to trigger the clotting process to halt bleeding.

As platelets clump together inside the implant, blood fails to flow properly, increasing pressure on the heart. But the ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!