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Researchers Attempt to Grow Hybrid Organs

Posted On: 06-10-2016
Researchers Attempt to Grow Hybrid Organs
Some patients spend years waiting on an organ transplant list, and still others never get the organ that they need to survive. In fact, approximately 22 people in the United States die each day while waiting for organ transplants. While there may be a shortage of donor organs around the world, researchers at the University of California, Davis have attempted to solve this shortage by essentially growing organs.

This research is in the very early stages, but involves using adult stem cells to grow human organs inside of animals, according to CNN Health.

Embryos were created by taking human stem cells from an adult’s skin or hair and then the cells were injected into a pig embryo, which was then injected into the uterus of a pig (which acts as a biological incubator). After a few weeks of maturing for the embryo, the pig pregnancies were terminated and the cell remnants analyzed. The hybrid organs are possible due to breakthrough techniques in gene-editing technology and stem cell biology.

One of the scientists involved in the research, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, indicates that this technology could be useful beyond transplants, including conditions such as diabetes.

However, this type of research is controversial due to the mix of animal and human DNA, and it is not supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, partially due to the concern about mental cognition as the technology continues to develop.

One thing is for sure—human stem cells are playing an important role in medicine, especially for organ transplantations. Stem cells can transform into almost anything in the body, and they reduce chances of transplant rejection.

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