On a weaving machine, white threads resembling those that make up the fabric of a garment are wound around a spool. Once assembled, they will take the form of a small transparent tube. At the Tissue Bioengineering Laboratory (Inserm/University of Bordeaux), researchers have used human collagen threads to weave prostheses that could eventually replace damaged blood vessels. "This is a very promising breakthrough," explains François Roubertie, cardio-thoracic surgeon at Bordeaux University Hospital. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES