??Can You Actually Grow an ORGAN??

"Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in the lab. They are the first to use human liver cells to successfully engineer miniature livers that function – at least in a laboratory setting – like human livers."


Several weeks ago, I heard Dr. Anthony Atala speak to a group about tissue growth, regeneration and implantation. He has actually been able to successfully implant a bladder grown outside the body using a patient's own cells into the patient. Years later she is happy, healthy and much better off. Besides that, another patient with more pressing need in an emergency situation was able to get a bladder. The future of this technology is almost exactly the concept of the movie The Island. The concept of having your organs at the ready in case of emergency has very nearly been realized. This research is monumental, definitely life changing. There is now the legitimate possibility of organ transplant without recipient rejection. The new organ is made entirely of the patient's own cells, every small marker on the cell is now duplicated without the threat of the wrong tags. All signs point to these developments becoming a major part of hospitals' medical know-how. The technology has even been duplicated on a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy; it has even "made it" in Hollywood.


The only issue in front of researchers now is stem cell legislation; and lobbyists for immuno-suppressor drug companies that are utilized after transplants will not exactly be thrilled. For the majority of the time, physicians will simply use stem cells in the marrow to make the organs grow, however, in order to do research doctors at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine will need stem cells to do their tests. It would be highly advantageous for them to have the ability to utilize cells harvested from the umbilical cord at birth. This would not harm the mothers or the child. It is also a lost opportunity (no matter your opinion on abortion, and I do not wish to show support or opposition to the issue) to allow stem cells of aborted fetuses to be destroyed. There are many opportunities for advancements in healthcare into the future, and only time will tell what legislation will allow. That which legislation grants will determine what these cutting edge researchers will be able to create. We have the proof, they can create functioning organs and place them into patients, they can create functioning liver cells (at least in the laboratory setting) and develop much more. What do you think? Would you like the possibility in the future of being ensured you will get that organ transplant you need?