Scientists Grow Human Thymus From Stem Cells

knight_23 writes: "The Herald Sun reports that Australian researchers have grown a functioning thymus from stem cells. The thymus is a small organ that is critical to the immune system. Human trials could begin within two years."

Comments

Isn't this...

[RoundTop-VJAS]

one of the parts that is affected by HIV? also, if this can be done..think of all those "bubble boys" that have reduced immune systems. This could be a VERY good thing.

Re:Isn't this...

[mess31173]

They already fixed the bubble boy.

So I don't think that that would be a practical application. Probably a better application would be for people with abnormalities or defects of the thymus.

Wrong focus?

[Dirtside]

It seems that the Herald Sun's article is focusing on how great the thymus is, and all the nifty things it can do -- when the real breakthrough is the fact that they GREW A FRICKIN' FUNCTIONING ORGAN FROM STEM CELLS. Jesus Christ! Move this tech over to the heart, liver, kidneys, whatever, and NOW you've got the "holy grail of immunology". Yeah, I realize it's a lot of work to do something like this, and requires specialized effort and development for different organs, but if the basic technology works... ay caramba.

Maybe I'm missing something, and this isn't as big a deal as I think it is... but if it is...

Superior Alternative to Transplants and Synthetics

[SirKodiak]

From science fiction, the impression I always got was that the way handle the failure of a heart was either going to be transplant from a donor or the use of synthetic organs (e.g. artificial hearts). This seems like a more impressive technology, allowing the body to grow its own replacement, and a more natural one, by eliminating the risk of rejection of artificial substances or organs grown in a different body.

I did find some of the quotes from Professor Boyd somewhat melodramatic, though: "Without a functioning immune system you get a disease called death,"he said.

Still, an amazing discovery. Good luck to those doing cutting edge medical research.

Once again, SF gets there first

[devphil]

I think at some point, if it isn't already happening, people will start taking larger chances with their bodies and health, because of this insurance policy.

A number of Larry Niven's stories in his future history "Known Space" cycle touch on this point, but arrived at a reverse conclusion in some cases: because people lived longer, they took fewer chances.

Even Hollywood will give you examples of this, although usually they look at it from the other end: "I've only got to live, so I'll go do something heroic which will probably result in my death, but big friggin' deal because I'm about to die."

The extension of that line of thought predicted by many SF authors is, "I've got three centuries of good livin' in front of me if I don't fuck it up, so why risk it all doing something possibly dangerous, like mountain climbing, deep-sea diving, or attempting to cross the street in downtown Chicago."

(The SF-aspect of the stories usually involves activities that we would think of as typical being perceived, in the brave new world, as "something possibly dangerous".)

Re:The thymus shuts down after puberty?

[spiro_killglance]

"Possible consequences: loss of your immune response memory. It seems like lymphocytes retire there and protect you from the stuff they were good at killing in their youth. If you replaced your thymus, you'd probably be susceptible to chicken pox (and worse) again if it wasn't done very carefully."

That could be a very good thing. Because in
auto-immune disease (MS, arthiritis and many
more), the immune system has learned to attack
the wrong things and busy causing you pain or is
even killing you.