5 replies to this topic

[VictorBjoerk]

I'm shocked noone has posted these important news yet, but here it goes....

http
://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...cle5183686.ece

A woman has been given a new section of windpipe created from her own stem cells in an operation that could revolutionise surgery.

Claudia Castillo, 30, who lives in Barcelona, has become the first person to be given a whole organ tailor-made for her in laboratories across Europe.

A graft from a donor was used, but because it has been imbued with Ms Castillo’s own cells, there is no sign that her body will reject the organ.

Ms Castillo, who was born in Colombia, had suffered a tuberculosis infection that ravaged her airways, leaving her unable to do simple domestic tasks. Disease had caused her windpipe, or trachea, to collapse just at the point where it entered her lung. Without the pioneering operation in June, the lung would have been removed. Today she again has a normal life and is able to look after her two children. She can walk up stairs without getting breathless and has even been dancing.

[Shoe]

I'm shocked noone has posted these important news yet, but here it goes....

http
://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...cle5183686.ece

A woman has been given a new section of windpipe created from her own stem cells in an operation that could revolutionise surgery.

Claudia Castillo, 30, who lives in Barcelona, has become the first person to be given a whole organ tailor-made for her in laboratories across Europe.

A graft from a donor was used, but because it has been imbued with Ms Castillo’s own cells, there is no sign that her body will reject the organ.

Ms Castillo, who was born in Colombia, had suffered a tuberculosis infection that ravaged her airways, leaving her unable to do simple domestic tasks. Disease had caused her windpipe, or trachea, to collapse just at the point where it entered her lung. Without the pioneering operation in June, the lung would have been removed. Today she again has a normal life and is able to look after her two children. She can walk up stairs without getting breathless and has even been dancing.

That's pretty amazing, but I really hope they'll figure out how to make tissues without a donated graft.

[VictorBjoerk]

They will probably do that in less than 10 years...

[VictorBjoerk]

but maybe a bit longer for more complicated structures like hearts etc...

[Mind]

Spanish doctors started the process by taking a 7-centimetre section of windpipe from a deceased donor.

Researchers at the University of Padua, Italy, led by Maria Teresa Conconi, then used detergent and enzymes to purge the donated windpipe of all the donor's cells. After six weeks, all that was left was a solid scaffold of connective tissue.

This is the most important part and most limiting factor of the procedure - creating the scaffolding. Only the human body and genes can currently create the proper scaffolding for anything other than a bladder (as far as I know). If we had the proper scaffolding, I am sure there would be a few other organs that could be created today - with current stem cell methods.

[caston]

You can also grow organs inside farm animals. It was in a show called "animal pharm"

I'm not sure exactly which segment but some of the segments are on youtube.