X-Message-Number: 30777
From: 
Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 19:59:55 EDT
Subject: Newsweek on organ growing

We concentrate on saving the brain on the assumption that new bodies can be  
grown in the future. Newsweek has a good article on progress here, May 19, 
p44,  War on Wounds.
 
The military is funding the growth of body parts to repair battle wounds.  

Where today a burn over 40% of the body requires many operations to harvest skin
 from the thigh and transplant it, then wait until more regrows on the thigh 
and  move that, they are now harvesting stem cells from a small patch of good 
skin,  and spraying them over the whole wound. "Over two to six weeks the 

cells grow  into functional skin, including dermis, epidermis, and blood 
vessels." 
It looks  natural, and they have treated eight patients with good results.
 
They plan to build noses etc. from scaffolds and cells, and using a similar  
method "Atala has created organs, including small kidneys that filter liquid 
and  produce urine in the lab. When implanted in animals, the kidneys grow to 
full  size and continue to work. 'We start and the body takes over', he  said. 
Atala has also created nerves that conduct impulses -- at least in  mice."
 
"There isn't a tissue you could name that somebody isn't working on" said  
one researcher.
 
 
Allowing for the usual premature enthusiasm of the press, this still sounds  
promising. I had not heard of full working kidneys, even in animals. 
 
Alan Mole



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