Need a New Liver? Then Just Print Yourself One

[DeSwiss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibtXFG2c42A">VIDEO: Need a New Liver? Then Just Print Yourself One

The field of regenerative medicine is moving from the realm of science fiction to science fact. From fingers and ears to complex organs like livers or hearts, scientists at Wake Forest University are making headway into growing human body parts in a laboratory.

This is no ordinary printer. It's been configured to print living organs. Researchers have filled the ink cartridges with a cocktail of cells and nutrients. Today they've printed a rat heart - in the future they hope to print human ones. They watch as the newly made heart begins to beat. This novel process is called bioprinting.

{Dr.Anthony Atala, Director, Institute of Regenerative Medicine}: " ... with printing an organ we have so many different types of cells that we have to use over and over again but just put them in the right sequence." Serious burn victims may soon benefit from the research.

{Mohammad Albanna, Researcher}: "Instead of waiting for the skin itself to provide this material which takes around two weeks, we are providing it right away so forming the seal and providing the bedding for cells so that they can grow fast and immediately."

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[Liberty Belle]

1. This is the most amazing thing I've seen yet. Wow.

[Juche]

2. I've seen stuff like that before

No idea how long until it is widespread in human medicine, my guess 5-20 years but no idea. However it will really revolutionize things when it is done.

The scientists talk about taking cells from a cadaver was confusing. I thought people doing this used adult pluripotent stem cells taken from the patient to avoid rejection. I thought stem cells could divide as much as they want (but I don't know).

[sfpcjock]

3. Especially the liver, right?

It has unique replicative ability, I heard. Some transplants are done now by splitting the donor organ and the two halve are capable of growing into a full organ. This is one reason liver is an above-average stem cell model for transplant.