Lab Grown Internal Organs-Succesful Animal Transplant

Anonymous Coward writes "Internal organs grown in the laboratory have been successfully transplanted into animals for the first time. The achievement heralds a new era in tissue engineering and transplant medicine in which patients could receive new organs made of their own cells. Guess I don't have to quit smoking :) " Well, looks like I will be having drink(s) while watching the commercials...er..SuperBowl tonight.

Comments

Not quite as exciting as it sounds

[Gavin Scott]

All they did was grow a mass of bladder cells in the lab, then sew them together in the shape of a complete organ. When they did the transplant, they left the complex bits of the old organ in place (the input and output ports, so to speak), so all they really did was replace old bladder wall with new tissue.

A bit far from a lung or liver being grown as a complete organ.

Of course there are *lots* of places where this could be life saving technology. Even if we can't get a new liver for our glorious leader yet, we might be able to replace some of the worn out cells in the old one.

G.