Laboratories around the world are working on ways to build replacement organs and tissues. Dr. Tracy Grikscheit, a surgeon, spends much of her time in her laboratory at the Saban Research Institute at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where she is working with her research team to find a way to make replacement intestines using the body itself to nourish and drive the growth of the engineered tissue.
The development of innovative techniques and advances in the understanding of stem cells has helped their efforts. Researchers have seen success in creating simpler structures, like bladders and windpipes. However, the goal of creating complex organs, like hearts and livers, to ease transplant shortages remains a long way off.
In the field of regenerative medicine, also known as tissue engineering, the goal is to swap the bad organ with the engineered replacement, where it can grow into position in the body and remain permanently. Dr. Grikscheit has concentrated on growing intestinal tissue in laboratory animals, but has recently had success in growing human intestinal tissue using donor cells. Dr. Grikscheit has also had success with a different method that uses another part of the body to nourish the replacement tissue as it grows.
Beginning to study how to develop the techniques for human patients, she has found many hurdles and states that human testing is still years away. Dr. Grikscheit said, We have a huge problem that if we solve it, it will change the future for a lot of children. She continued, The really fascinating thing is how to put something together that came out wrong and make it as right as possible
Dr. Grikscheit is doing what she has always thought surgeons should do. She said, You move medicine ahead. She envisions a day when her approach moves beyond the lab to the operating room by combining this kind of lab work with her surgical practice.
Researchers Using The Body To Grow New Organs | Health Aim
The development of innovative techniques and advances in the understanding of stem cells has helped their efforts. Researchers have seen success in creating simpler structures, like bladders and windpipes. However, the goal of creating complex organs, like hearts and livers, to ease transplant shortages remains a long way off.
In the field of regenerative medicine, also known as tissue engineering, the goal is to swap the bad organ with the engineered replacement, where it can grow into position in the body and remain permanently. Dr. Grikscheit has concentrated on growing intestinal tissue in laboratory animals, but has recently had success in growing human intestinal tissue using donor cells. Dr. Grikscheit has also had success with a different method that uses another part of the body to nourish the replacement tissue as it grows.
Beginning to study how to develop the techniques for human patients, she has found many hurdles and states that human testing is still years away. Dr. Grikscheit said, We have a huge problem that if we solve it, it will change the future for a lot of children. She continued, The really fascinating thing is how to put something together that came out wrong and make it as right as possible
Dr. Grikscheit is doing what she has always thought surgeons should do. She said, You move medicine ahead. She envisions a day when her approach moves beyond the lab to the operating room by combining this kind of lab work with her surgical practice.
Researchers Using The Body To Grow New Organs | Health Aim
