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Patches for a Broken Heart  Using a space-age device called a
bioreactor, researchers have grown patches of tissue that beat
and respond much like a human heart does.    see captionFebruary
14, 2002: Â Thump-thump, thump-thump. There's nothing more
reassuring than the cadence of a healthy beating heart. It's the
first thing your doctor listens for when you go in for a check-
up.  Gurgles, swishes, and hiccups, on the other hand, are
worrisome. They are the tell-tale sounds of imperfect or
diseased hearts. Millions of Americans have hearts that don't
work as they should; indeed, heart disease is the single leading
cause of death in the United States.  One day, perhaps,
biomedical engineers will simply grow new hearts for people who
need them, using cells taken from the patients themselves as
seeds. Such hearts would be young, alive, and welcomed by the
immune systems of their recipients.  subscription image Sign up
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