A group of researchers for the first time managed to grow human lungs in the lab. This breakthrough was announced by Joaquin Cortiella and Joan Nichols, head of the research team from the University of Texas Medical Branch, USA.
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Human lung. (Picture from: http://globalvillenews.com/) |
Some time grow the organs in the lab, has become a reality after scientists know about stem cells and how they grow up and become the cells that make up organs and other body parts. However in this effort, the researchers focused to grow one of the most complex organ in the human lung.
Nichols explains the procedure in simple explanation. The lungs of two teenagers who died were taken. Lungs first stripped all the cells, leaving only the structure of elastin and collagen.
Healthy cells are then taken from both lungs and was placed on the structure. Once completely coated, prospective lung was then placed in a tube filled with a nutrient-rich solution. He was placed there for four weeks.
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Image A is before new cells were reseeded. The finished product is image B. (Picture from: http://medicalxpress.com/) |
In the future, new cells then grown on the structure of the lungs and produce new lungs. To ensure that their technique is really successful, the research team then repeat these steps with the other lung and found similar results.
The researchers themselves do not know exactly whether the new lung growth could function if installed on the human body. But they believe that they are already on the right track to grow lungs in the lab that will eventually be used to replace damaged lung in patients. Hopefully, they will be able to help thousands of people are killed each year while waiting for a lung transplant.
In its report, Nichols is optimistic and says that they have made something that previously only existed in science fiction tale come true. But on the other hand, he also mentioned that there are still many things to be done. He estimated that lung transplant grown in the lab into the human body will be carried out at least a dozen years to come.
The next plan of the research team is to repeat the same process in the lungs of pigs and implementing it on live pigs to see if this method really work .. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HEALTHY LIFE]
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