Cotton Candy Helps Labs Regrow Tissues

Lauren Kreutziger
March 18, 2009
Filed under Archives, News

According to Fox News, cotton candy can help science labs regrow human tissues. When Sophomore Brittany Tatum, at Brashier Middle College Charter High School, heard this news, her initial reaction was, “Oh snap for real, that is so cool!!!”

According to Fox News, the process is very simple; first, scientists pour a thick liquid chemical over a wad of cotton candy. They 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 they have a chunk of material with a network of fine channels within.

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

Sophomore Lelia Rill at BMC said, “This is a neat idea and scientist are thinking of new ideas every day.”

After understanding how it worked Tatum said that even though cotton candy could help regrow tissues, it would not change the way she eats cotton candy.