London, Sept 3 : British surgeons have created a groundbreaking treatment that will help create heart tissue from stem cells from the patient's body.

The treatment will help cadiac patients 'grow their own' heart valves and have them transplanted by surgeons.

"Currently people suffering from heart valve disease can be treated with artificial replacement valves - they do the job and save lives but they are far from perfect," the Daily Mail quoted Sir Magdi, professor of cardiac surgery at Imperial College London and one of the world's leading heart surgeons, as saying.

"Although there has been huge progress in developing mechanical replacements, they still work mechanically and not physiologically - they cannot match the elegant sophisticated functions of living tissues."

"The ultimate goal is to produce an 'off the shelf' product which will not cause an immune response from patients. This should be possible in the next five to eight
years."

Stem cells are the body's 'master cells' - undeveloped cells that are capable of transforming into any kind of tissue.

Sir Magdi's team obtained stem cells from a volunteer's bone marrow and with a mixture of chemicals they grew them to get heart cells.

The researchers are due to begin testing the valves in animals this year and trials on people are expected to follow.

"Replacement human, animal and mechanical heart valves remain lifesaving for thousands every day in the UK,' Professor Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the latest work, said:.

"However, Professor Yacoub and his team are among the leaders in research to design better replacement heart valves using human stem cells and natural biological materials as the framework for these cells to grow in."

"We look forward to seeing the solutions to unresolved practical issues that will allow the promise of experimental research to become a reality for patients in the not too distant future."

Hearts have four valves which ensure blood flows in the right direction.

They have to be replaced if they leak or fail to open properly. Around 10,000 people a year need such surgery.

While adults are given artificial replacements, children are given valves from donors.

However, donor valves are not easily available and also deteriorate over time and patients with artificial heart valves are on drugs for their lifetime.

The treatment is published in the journal Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society today, colleagues.