Research team successfully grows human lung in lab

Research team successfully grows human lung in lab

(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with the University of Texanderfful s has, for the first time, successfully grown a human lung in a lab. Project leads Dr. Joaquin Cortiella and Dr. Joan Nichols announced the landmark breakthrough to various members of the press this past week, describing the procedure and what was achieved.


Growing organs in the lab has become a reality in the past couple of years as scientists have learned more about stem cells and how they mature to become the cells that make up organs and other body parts. Windpipes, for example, have been successfully grown and implanted into human patients, and just last spring, a team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston successfully implanted lab grown kidneys into rats. In this new effort, the researchers have been focusing on growing one of the most complicated organs in the human body—the lungs.

What does ATS think about this?

It seems they are moving forward with lab grown organ replacements at an ever increasing speed. I have a thread in the works along these lines. I came across this story while researching for it. Outside the obvious smokers needs for a new set I think this is a wonderful development for people with lung problems not related to smoking.

I know some may be against such developments.


Anyway, I thought it was worth posting...

reply to post by SLAYER69


If they can make an organ from your own stem cells then not only would it eliminate or drastically reduce the need for donor organs it would also eliminate the need for a lifetime of immuno-suppressing drugs because there wouldn't be rejection concerns as you've essentially replaced one organ with a genetically identical one and as far as your body is concerned its your organ and always has been. Sounds like a win win scenario to me. Cost effectiveness and the time required to grow the organs would seem to be the largest hurdles. A rather impressive feat no matter how you look at this.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Its a amazinh breakthrough

Solves almost all donor issues.

Hopefully soon the only waiting list will be the wait while your organ grows.

Won't be long, til they make those human robots. The ones they have now, complain too much. lol

Blasphemy! devil's works!

This is the kind of stuff I look forward to seeing on ATS

Yay! At 41 and still a smoker because I simply enjoy it now I have no reason to quit! (although doctor says my lungs are perfectly healthy now anyway)

Just kind of having fun with a cool advancement--thanks once again Slayer.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Wonderful advances!

Why do I have the urge to go smoke a celebratory cigarette?

On a more serious note, this is indeed quite wonderful.
It causes one to wonder how long it'll be before donor based transplants are things of the past where anyone requiring transplant of anything will just have a personal replacement grown, or, even printed.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Allright, allright, allright!

(Throws e-cig across room and slowly, sensuously, draws a coffin nail from a pack and lights up, drawing the thick smoke into his blackened, raspy lungs and leans back... and then thinks about how much, how long and having oneself cracked open and dives for e-cig again)

Blah blah blah. I read about these amazing scientific discoveries like this and the first thing I wonder is WHY am I still bald? They can grow a lung in a jar. They can grow an ear on the back of a rat. I can't grow some hair on my bald noggin? I want some answers.

Windpipes, for example, have been successfully grown and implanted into human patients, and just last spring, a team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston successfully implanted lab grown kidneys into rats. In this new effort, the researchers have been focusing on growing one of the most complicated organs in the human body—the lungs.

Sounds like Christmas might come early for the tobacco industry!

Picture the marketing push...

'Collect these loyalty cards! Free windpipes and lungs for every 10000 packs!

Keeping lung cancer from your door...together '

reply to post by SLAYER69


I had read that while they're still a ways away from having the ability to successfully implant the grown lungs into a human, they are much further along with kidneys, livers and other organs.

Fascinating to think what horizons modern medicine will conquer in the next few decades. Glad im young, by the time I'm an old dude immortality will be ours!

Id hardly go out and take up smokeing or view this a as get out of jail ticket.

Heart/lung transplants are still one of more riskier surgerys. There is still plenty that can go wrong.

Yeah lets not give the impression its ok to smoke now.

Still bad!

reply to post by crazyewok


Primarily, it is down to the immune response which causes problems and also the fact they swap both out (lungs + heart) to minimise this response - having a cloned set of lungs removes the need for immuno-suppressant drugs and also the need for a new heart, although if I was going in for a service I'd want a full work up!

But good news this is - I would like to give up smoking but I like it too much, especially at work, so having spare parts available is what I have been hoping for.

MaximosPoena
Yeah lets not give the impression its ok to smoke now.

Still bad!

Well its not a get out of jail free card.

Its still major surgery which could very well end up with you dead on a operating table.

A lung transplant is not like haveing your tounsils out.

reply to post by MaximosPoena


Only because it causes disease, but if you can make said disease "go away", then smoking really has no drawbacks aside from making you stink.

Smokers rejoice!

reply to post by SLAYER69

But, but what about international organ traffickers? What will they do now?

Does this mean poor people won't have their organs harvested in order to save some rich fatso anymore?

jjkenobi
Blah blah blah. I read about these amazing scientific discoveries like this and the first thing I wonder is WHY am I still bald? They can grow a lung in a jar. They can grow an ear on the back of a rat. I can't grow some hair on my bald noggin? I want some answers.

It's a conspiracy.

reply to post by stumason


True but there is a threat of Heart disease and a whole host of other potential hazards due to smoking....