Child Receives Trachea Grown From Own Stem Cells
Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:38 pm
Article
Going to be interesting if this is allowed under the new administration. Stem Cell research has made a ton of strides in the last few years. Between this and the new cancer treatments, we might soon be able to treat everything from cancer to quadriplegic's!Doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) along with colleagues at the University College London, the Royal Free Hospital, and Careggi University Hospital in Florence have successfully transplanted a trachea into a 10 year old boy using his own stem cells. A donor trachea was taken, stripped of its cells into a collagen-like scaffold, and then infused with the boy's stem cells. The trachea was surgically placed into the boy and allowed to develop in place. Because his own cells were used, there was little to no risk of rejection. This was the first time a child had received such a stem cell augmented transplant and the first time that a complete trachea had been used.
