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PROFESSOR SEIFALIAN CREATES NOSE AND EAR USING STEM CELLS
April 8, 21:23
Scientists in a north London hospital are growing ears, noses and
blood vessels in the laboratory attempting to make body parts with
the help of stem cells.
While only a handful of patients have received the British lab-made
organs so far- including tear ducts, blood vessels and windpipes -
researchers hope they will soon be able to transplant more types of
body parts into patients, including what would be the world's first
nose made partly from stem cells, reports Newsmax Health.
"It's like making a cake," said Alexander Seifalian at University
College London, the scientist leading the effort. "We just use a
different kind of oven."
During a recent visit to his lab, Seifalian showed off a sophisticated
machine used to make molds from a polymer material for various organs.
Last year, he and his team made a nose for a British man who lost his
to cancer. Scientists added a salt and sugar solution to the mold of
the nose to mimic the somewhat sponge-like texture of the real thing.
Stem cells were taken from the patient's fat and grown in the lab
for two weeks before being used to cover the nose scaffold. Later,
the nose was implanted into the man's forearm so that skin would grow
to cover it.
Seifalian said he and his team are waiting for approval from regulatory
authorities to transfer the nose onto the patient's face but couldn't
say when that might happen.
Later this year, a trial is scheduled to start in India and London
to test lab-made ears for people born without them.
The potential applications of lab-made organs appear so promising
even the city of London is getting involved: Seifalian's work is
being showcased on Tuesday as Mayor Boris Johnson announces a new
initiative to attract investment to Britain's health and science
sectors so spin-off companies can spur commercial development of the
pioneering research.
The polymer material Seifalian uses for his organ scaffolds has been
patented and he's also applied for patents for their blood vessels,
tear ducts and windpipe.
Seifalian estimated about 10 million pounds ($16 million) has gone
into his research since 2005 but said he hoped lab-made organs would
one day be available for a few hundred dollars.
http://med.news.am/eng/news/1469/professor-seifalian-creates-nose-and-ear-using-stem-cells.html
April 8, 21:23
Scientists in a north London hospital are growing ears, noses and
blood vessels in the laboratory attempting to make body parts with
the help of stem cells.
While only a handful of patients have received the British lab-made
organs so far- including tear ducts, blood vessels and windpipes -
researchers hope they will soon be able to transplant more types of
body parts into patients, including what would be the world's first
nose made partly from stem cells, reports Newsmax Health.
"It's like making a cake," said Alexander Seifalian at University
College London, the scientist leading the effort. "We just use a
different kind of oven."
During a recent visit to his lab, Seifalian showed off a sophisticated
machine used to make molds from a polymer material for various organs.
Last year, he and his team made a nose for a British man who lost his
to cancer. Scientists added a salt and sugar solution to the mold of
the nose to mimic the somewhat sponge-like texture of the real thing.
Stem cells were taken from the patient's fat and grown in the lab
for two weeks before being used to cover the nose scaffold. Later,
the nose was implanted into the man's forearm so that skin would grow
to cover it.
Seifalian said he and his team are waiting for approval from regulatory
authorities to transfer the nose onto the patient's face but couldn't
say when that might happen.
Later this year, a trial is scheduled to start in India and London
to test lab-made ears for people born without them.
The potential applications of lab-made organs appear so promising
even the city of London is getting involved: Seifalian's work is
being showcased on Tuesday as Mayor Boris Johnson announces a new
initiative to attract investment to Britain's health and science
sectors so spin-off companies can spur commercial development of the
pioneering research.
The polymer material Seifalian uses for his organ scaffolds has been
patented and he's also applied for patents for their blood vessels,
tear ducts and windpipe.
Seifalian estimated about 10 million pounds ($16 million) has gone
into his research since 2005 but said he hoped lab-made organs would
one day be available for a few hundred dollars.
http://med.news.am/eng/news/1469/professor-seifalian-creates-nose-and-ear-using-stem-cells.html