Children get lab-grown organs

The urethra is a narrow tube, which provides the bubble with the genitals, a conduit, usher waste out of the body. History of HIGHLIGHTSScientists reported successful reconstruction of Urethras in 5 young patients with own CellsThe challenge with traditional urethra replacement is the creation of a viable tube, which is grafts not CollapseThe engineering ImplantedRegenerative appeared medicine harnesses body which were ability to heal normal about three months after it, ItselfRELATED TOPIC Wake Forest UniversityBiotechnologyHealth and fitness (dpa) - engineering institutions begins with something fehlt-- a phantom organ of the body of a patient gives incredible discomfort, dysfunction, or pain. It ends with a Star Trek-esque feat of engineering through the replacement missing organs culled with cells from a patient's body. In a small pilot study, Monday in the Lancet reconstruction of Urethras in five young patients published reported scientists successfully, with their own cells. "We could create own fabric patients that actually belongs there," said Dr. Anthony Atala, author of the study and Director of the Institute for regenerative medicine at Forest University School of medicine wake lead. "If the tissue is to be available, we will do hopefully better by the patient." Patients had their engineered Urethras implanted from March 2004 to July 2007 the Federico Gomez children's Hospital in Mexico City. Their Urethras to several years follow-up function. The urethra is a narrow tube, which provides the bubble with the genitals, a conduit, usher waste out of the body. If that - sometimes natively or as a result of the disease, pelvic fractures or other trauma-damaged is you usually according to Atala replaced with tissue from the lining of a patient cheeks harvested or grafted skin from another part of the body, use. "Unfortunately for the narrow structures in the body (like Urethras), they are kind of complex, because they tend to reduce," Atala said, adding that conventional urethra replacement more than half beats the time fail. "Each institution has its own challenges." The challenge with traditional urethra replacement creates a viable tube, one that is not easily reduced. And this is where engineering Urethras can provide some benefit. The first step for the construction of a new urethra is a very small piece of the patients of own tissue (about half as large as a stamp) take out of the bubble. Cells are from the biopsiert website, allows multiply, scraped that muscle cells from urethra cells separated. It is in the next steps in the process, which sound like science fiction. If there is a sufficient number of cells, scientists "Seed" seven - so as a new lawn seed würde-- perform on a grid, the core techniques is shaped like a urethra. The inside of the network is coated with urethral cells, whereas outside muscle cells. "It is as cake bake a layer, but it does one level at a time," said Atala. The sown structure is in an incubator for about two weeks, in a "" placed the cooking process, the Atala says how cell growth occurs within the body simulated. Then, the newly developed urethra is ready to be implanted in the patients. "During the operation, we go in the area that was damaged, clean, scar tissue and plug - in a new, engineered urethra," said Atala. "It sounds simple, but it is a fairly complex surgical procedures." "This is a narrow structure and it must fit just right." According to the study which was carried out engineering grafts normal implanted approximately three months after they were. Patients of Urethras retained worked normally within a few weeks after the operation and the function for up to six years. "This is an exciting study that shows that a viable option for complex urethral tissue engineering can be repairs," said David A. Vorp, Professor of Bioengineering and heart thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in this study. "It shows that the patient's own cells can be used, is the possibility of rejection to eliminate." VORP added that biopsies will carry their own risks such as infection and other complications, and the study in a larger study group needs to be replicated. Although the current study had registered only a few patients, Vorp said it is "an important step in the direction of important new means for urethral repair." Atala admits that there are some years before engineering institutions becomes the norm, and that it is not yet clear whether this same technology in adults will work. He said that in addition to the patients with urethra dysfunction, patients with other complex small vessels, the Probleme--could such as blood vessels, which one day will benefit from this technology after heart bypass surgery to reduzieren--. "There is a huge population with small vessel disease where the ships reduce and close to keep," said Atala. "The most important concept here is a narrow tubularized, complex structure that doesn't collapse in the long term." Atala and colleagues reported similar success in seven spina bifida patients to replace its dysfunctional bubbles in 2006. Scientists at Wake Forest have successfully developed more than 30 tissues and organs, including miniature liver, heart-valve-pressure even institutions such as human skin and kidney-in the laboratory. Scientists such as Atala regenerative medicine say a new frontier where medicine is the doctors cure, rather than merely treatment of diseases with the body's natural ability to heal itself could see. Autologous cell - or cells that taxes of a patient's body - can be transplanted organs without rejection. Still, all this is many years away. Most of these emerging technologies are not yet ready for widespread implantation, and the cost of the regenerative medicine at this early stage is often much higher than the conventional methods. "An interesting challenge with many of these technologies and regenerative medicine, you must, go slowly", Atala said. "The key is too slow going and have long-term follow up." "Keep patient safety first."