Stem Cells Used to Grow Organs
Definitions:
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the capacity to grow and mature into a wide range of specific cells.
Scaffolding is a structure inside each organ that defines its shape.
Summary:
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the capacity to grow and mature into a wide range of specific cells.
Scaffolding is a structure inside each organ that defines its shape.
Summary:
Although seems unreal, growing organs from scratch has become reality. Twenty years ago, Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology first introduced the new idea of creating new organs using stem cells. The scientists first discovered that each organ has its own specific scaffolding that defines the shape of the organ. He further acknowledged that each organ is made up of many cells, each with its own specific function. Langer created the scaffolding by mixing biodegradable polymers and using materials that are commonly found in the human body. The only problem Langer faced was that he did not know how to create the actual cells found in the organ. A solution to this is the discovery of stem cells. Anthony Atala of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine created the first human bladder from stem cells. He did so by extracting stem cells from the patient who he was making this for and seeding a scaffolding into it. Two months later, the bladder had matured and grown and was ready to be implanted. The operation was successful and the history of science was revolutionized with this creation of an organ.
Discussion:I chose this article because it applies to my life as sometime in the future, I may need an organ to replace a failing one. Thus, instead of relying on somebody else's which is very risky, I could turn to a created organ which is more reliable than the traditional transplant methods. Although this achievement seems relatively small as the bladder is a simple organ, it leads the way for more complex creations in the future. Before reading this, I thought synthetic organs were impossible and was only found in science fiction, but these kinds of medical advancements are real and will certainly lead to much bigger achievements in the future.
Discussion:I chose this article because it applies to my life as sometime in the future, I may need an organ to replace a failing one. Thus, instead of relying on somebody else's which is very risky, I could turn to a created organ which is more reliable than the traditional transplant methods. Although this achievement seems relatively small as the bladder is a simple organ, it leads the way for more complex creations in the future. Before reading this, I thought synthetic organs were impossible and was only found in science fiction, but these kinds of medical advancements are real and will certainly lead to much bigger achievements in the future.
Questions:
If creating a bladder is possible, could creating a synthetic brain be possible?
If creating a bladder is possible, could creating a synthetic brain be possible?
How do you coax stem cells to differentiate to specific cell lines?
Citations:
Komaroff, Anthony M. "The Race to Grow New Organs." Marylin's Transplant News.
, 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. <http://marylinstransplantpage.com/
race-grow10.htm>.
Citations:
Komaroff, Anthony M. "The Race to Grow New Organs." Marylin's Transplant News.
, 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. <http://marylinstransplantpage.com/
race-grow10.htm>.
