World's First Tissue-Engineered Whole Organ Transplant

[3113]

This is huge!

Scientists in Spain have carried out the world's first tissue-engineered whole organ transplant - a windpipe - made with a patient's own stem cells. The groundbreaking technology also means for the first time tissue transplants can be carried out without the need for anti-rejection drugs.

Five months on the patient is in perfect health, The Lancet reports. Tailor-made organs like this could become the norm, the European team of experts believe.

Full story here.

 

[fieryjen]

That's really amazing!

 

[alyxen]

Very cool stuff!

 

[rgraham666]

Very cool.

I also feel a touch of relief. I remember Larry Niven's stories about the problems when transplantation became easy. Chief among them making every infraction of the law above a single parking ticket a capital crime to ensure a steady supply of 'spare parts'. And a brisk 'organlegging' black market.

It looks like that may not come to pass.

 

[Equinoxe]

This is a tremendous breakthrough. There are so many issues with organ transplantation that it will resolve.

 

[ishtat]

The new organ was grown by scientists in Bristol UK then transported to Spain to be grafted to the recipient.

Consider the political consequence to those countries which are anti organ growth or stem cell research. Will they refuse lifesaving organs grown elsewhere. I suspect not and anticipate some changes in the law.

 

[Just-Legal]

The new organ was grown by scientists in Bristol UK then transported to Spain to be grafted to the recipient.

Consider the political consequence to those countries which are anti organ growth or stem cell research. Will they refuse lifesaving organs grown elsewhere. I suspect not and anticipate some changes in the law.

Exactly. I can understand the moral issues with stem cell research, but at the same time, strictly regulated, how many damn lives can be SAVED?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Exactly. I can understand the moral issues with stem cell research, but at the same time, strictly regulated, how many damn lives can be SAVED?

This is really an incredible accomplishment of enormous import and it's shocking that it was done in Spain, a staunchly Catholic country hardly known as a world leader in medical research. This is the direct result of Bush's science policies. The USA is no longer the world leader in biotech. Not even close.

These were the woman's own adult stem cells they used, and there's nothing ethically dubious about that. We certainly could have been doing this kind of work here in the states had not Bush scared the entire research community away from stem cell work, with their medieval thinking and religious intolerance. Now the world has passed us by and our biotech jobs have gone overseas where the research environment is more friendly and enlightened.

Another reminder of the disaster of the last 8 years.

 

[lil_elvis]

Incredible and a major break through.

However, I must admit that when I first read the thread title, I thought they were making these out of Kleenex.

 

[jomar]

Wonderful news. And just think of the implications for plastic surgery!

 

[Katyusha]

This is why I support stem cell research. If they can grow a new organ with your DNA to replace a failing one, transplants would be far easier with far fewer complications and the supply of organs would no longer be an issue.

 

[Xelebes]

The new organ was grown by scientists in Bristol UK then transported to Spain to be grafted to the recipient.

Consider the political consequence to those countries which are anti organ growth or stem cell research. Will they refuse lifesaving organs grown elsewhere. I suspect not and anticipate some changes in the law.

Are these not completely different kind of stem cells? Ones not taken from embryos but rather from cartilage of the patient?

 

[JackLuis]

Maybe the Spanish and Italians can grow Bush a new brain?

 

[ishtat]

This is really an incredible accomplishment of enormous import and it's shocking that it was done in Spain, a staunchly Catholic country hardly known as a world leader in medical research.

UK is the only European country which allows the creation of embryos for research but Spain like most other Europeans allows the use of so called supernumery embryos left over from IVF procedures.

 

[stephanie_webster]

I'm so gald that we have stem cell research going on here too! oh wait..another bush failure

This is huge!


Full story here.

 

[Emerald_Dragon]

Are these not completely different kind of stem cells? Ones not taken from embryos but rather from cartilage of the patient?

Adults do create stem cells, just not in huge numbers. These stem cells were taken from the person that got the new windpipe, it is her own DNA.

 

[sweetness6280]

My mother died waiting for an organ transplant, hence the green ribbon in my sig.

This is incredible news, and hope for the future. However, it will be years, even decades, before the technology can be used for most vital organs. So, I'm gonna climb on my soap box for a second.

There are currently over 100,000 people on the waiting list in the U.S. for life saving organ transplants (I don't have stats for other countries).

Every 12 minutes, another name is added to the list.

Every day, an average of 18 people die waiting.

90% of American's say they support organ donation, but only 30% understand the steps to becoming a donor. Fewer still are registered donors.

Hopefully, this breakthrough will bring the issue to the forefront again.

Statistics come from the following sites, which are also a great source of information. They are great places to register as a donor, if you aren't already. Again, I'm sorry I don't have worldwide stats; these are the organizations with whom I work or have associations.

[url]http://www.donatelife.net/[/URL]
[url]http://www.unos.org/[/URL]
[url]http://www.livingbank.org/[/URL]

*climbs down off her soapbox*

 

[fifty5]

Are these not completely different kind of stem cells? Ones not taken from embryos but rather from cartilage of the patient?

I heard one of the guys involved being interviewed on BBC Radio 4 this evening (PM - go "listen again").

The stem cells used were from bone marrow.

The techniques used were developed using stem cells from embryos.

More of the fundamental research is still needed: this organ is basically a hollow tube; 'solid' organs, like hearts, kidneys, livers, etc. etc. etc. need other techniques.

That's what I remember the guy saying.