Health

‘Human Body Parts Store’: Lab Growing Synthetic Parts for Transplant

Lab Growing First Synthetic Nose for Transplant

Synthetic windpipe that was transplanted into a patient last year. (Photo: UCL)

Last summer, the first synthetic organ– a windpipe — was grown in laboratory setting and transplanted into a patient. Now, the University College London’s (UCL) Department of Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine is taking on another “world first:” growth of a nose.

Warren Pole for the Daily Mail recently got a tour of the lab where he saw the nanotechnology-driven little shop of synthetic human body parts first hand. Led on the tour by Professor Alexander Seifalian, Pole describes seeing a transplant nose and ear growing in “red goo.”

Lab team member Adelola Oseni explains to Pole that while others have tried to tackle synthetic organs before, the material used doesn’t hold shape like those in the “human body parts store.“ Oseni said this nose should hold up because ”it’s an entire nose shape made out of polymer.”

Check out photos of the synthetic parts here.

Here’s more on the material and transplant technology:

Looking like very thin Latex rubber, the polymer is made up of billions of molecules, each measuring just over one nanometre (a billionth of a metre), or 40,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Working at molecular level allows the material itself to be intricately detailed.

“Inside this nanomaterial are thousands of small holes,” says Seifalian.

“Tissue grows into these and becomes part of it. It becomes the same as a nose and will even feel like one.”

When the nose is transferred to the patient, it doesn’t go directly onto the face but will be placed inside a balloon inserted beneath the skin on their arm.

After four weeks, during which time skin and blood vessels can grow, the nose can be monitored, then it can be transplanted to the face.

Pole reports the risk of rejection of these parts should be slim as they are “biocompatible materials” that use of the patients own cells. Pole notes that the process for making these materials from a patients cells started with embryonic stem cell research but now comes from bone marrow stem cells.

The technology being refined by the lab could also bypass open heart surgery someday. Pole reports that instead of needing “seeding” (the process of acclimating the patient’s cells to the part before transplant described above) the heart valves are being developed to attract the cells they need to continue growth when implanted directly in the body:

“Normally for heart bypass you take a section of vein from the patient’s leg or arm. But 30 per cent of patients don’t have suitable veins so can’t have the operation. No alternative currently exists for them,” says Seifalian.

“We are the first in the world with this. Nobody else is even close. It has been successful in animal trials; this year it will be going for patient trials.”

While Seifalian acknowledged that more time is needed to see how these materials react with the body in the long term, the ultimate hope is that it will eliminate the need for organ donation someday. Oseni said, “If we can grow a heart, a lung or a trachea in a lab, we don’t need to wait for donors.”

Check out BBC‘s report on last year’s synthetic trachea transplant for more on the process:

Comments (52)

  • sick6james
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 2:01pm

    @MROBVIOUS

    I agree, but they would need a kill switch to prevent any attempts at starting an immortal communist empire within the United States.

    Report Post » sick6james  
  • sick6james
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 1:57pm

    @G-WHIZ

    Bicentennial Man.

    Report Post » sick6james  
  • Clmsadjman
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 1:41pm

    Great leap in technology unfortunately it will keep creeps like Soros alive long after the grim reaper should have taken them. There is a downside to all these technologies extending life is good on the surface, but some really bad folk will go on spreading the hate because they have the money to buy new parts.

    Report Post »  
  • don young
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:18pm

    Can they grow a new brain for obama we know he doesn,t have one.

    Report Post »  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:06pm

    Hmmm..the growth of a nose… . Remember the WoddieAllen movie, where genetic foods were grown in hydroponic veggie-patches…and the “Dear Dead Leader” had only his nose left for cloning? By mistake it was flipped in the way of a “steemeroller”….nuff said. :-)

    Report Post »  
  • Wyatt's Torch
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 11:06am

    Maybe they can synthesize a spine for Romney.

    Report Post » Wyatt's Torch  
  • RamonPreston
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 3:15am

    Fantastic. The elite plan on living forever by replacing worn out body parts. Henry Kissinger right on top of the list.

    Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • ronin_6
    Posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:14am

    How long before they can do a lung? Got a relative with copd. He could use an extra set of lungs.

    Report Post » ronin_6  
  • Wringeaux
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 10:45pm

    I’d like to order a 20 year old body please…

    Report Post » Wringeaux  
  • Cthulu2180
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:29pm

    I feel troubled…the image reminds me of a sushi roll void of all the yummy filling. Perhaps its the new pink slime roll?

    Report Post » Cthulu2180  
  • lukerw
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:40pm

    So… the need for Aborted Fetus’ and Stem Cells… was Not Necessary?

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • sick6james
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:02pm

      Actually, we don’t really need aborted fetuses for stem cells to do this, doctors could just use the patient’s own stem cells instead.

      Report Post » sick6james  
    • see.pee.aye
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:29pm

      Does anyone else agree that they could have found a better picture of a body part?

      Report Post » see.pee.aye  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:37pm

    Awesome!

    Report Post » Tigress1  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:34pm

    Grow Biden a freakin brain……….

    Report Post »  
    • Belchfire V-8
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:52pm

      It would be a waste of time, he wouldn’t use it.

      Report Post » Belchfire V-8  
    • I.Gaspar
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:08pm

      They are doctors and scientists…not magicians.

      Report Post »  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 3:20am

      Doesn’t work. They tried it with Obama. Haven‘t you seen the scar on the back of Obama’s head?

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • chubby
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:23pm

    Not sure I agree with synthetic body parts. Of course, if I needed a body part really bad would I opt for the phoney part? You bet.

    Report Post »  
    • sick6james
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:06pm

      Synthetic parts are on the road map to full body augmentation. Soon, even morons will be immortal…

      Report Post » sick6james  
    • MrObvious
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 10:10pm

      Hey, nothing wrong with that; as, us smart folks are still going to want fools to laugh at.

      Report Post »  
    • Nick84
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 4:08pm

      So you’re not sure if you agree with synthetic body parts, but would use them if you needed it? So do you just disagree with them when others need it?

      Report Post »  
  • dfmcse
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:19pm

    If you noticed the end of the video: “Once again, a government-run socialized health care system disproves the myth that “profit-driven” mediciine spurs innovation and medical breakthroughs. “Profit-driven“ medicine gets you ”a better diet pill” or the next baldness cure, not medical breakthroughs for which there is no commercial market.” MugsysRapSheet.com

    Ok, I give up, you’re right the government is the way to go . . . Wait . . . in vitro fertilization, anesthetics, pain killers, x-ray, DNA, insulin, antiseptics, antibiotics, vaccines, and millions of others.
    Um . . . never mind government.

    Report Post »  
    • Shadow_knight
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:37pm

      Amen my friend. Someone had to say it. I was going to, you beat me to the punch.

      Report Post » Shadow_knight  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 3:19am

      There is no profit in curing…just treatment. “Bad for repeat business.”<-from Two and a Half Men

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • OneWithGodistheMajority
      Posted on May 9, 2012 at 10:33am

      The only reason it was developed by the INDIVIDUAL in the SOCIALIST market is because there was NO CHOICE. He does the work..Gov gets the dollars. How much better could it have been if this happened in a FREE society?

      Report Post »  
  • justangry
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:18pm

    Let’s just speak to the elephant in the room. When are they gonig to make a couple million Jessica Alba clones?

    Report Post » justangry  
  • scuba13
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:53pm

    Can they make Obama a body to fit into his empty suit?

    Report Post » scuba13  
  • mikem1969
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:32pm

    Maybe now they can grow some brains for the libs and progressives, aka democrats so they can see what fools they have truly been.

    Report Post »  
    • socialism.rocks
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:40pm

      3 d printing will end jobs.. welcome to socialism you will be able to produce any product in your home just throw in the raw materials…

      this is the end of big corporations dufus… and it has nothing to do with crapitalism
      its in humans nature to innovate and create

      Report Post » socialism.rocks  
    • Perspective
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:11pm

      3D printing? While I concur much science fiction comes true I don’t know of a magic machine that will make anything you want at this time/place in the space/time continuum.BTW, socialism sucks.

      Report Post » Perspective  
    • sick6james
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:11pm

      3D printing eliminating capitalism? Sure, and socialism is “equality” for “all”….

      For all the cool stuff you can do with a 3D printer at the moment, most if not all items produced are either concepts or toys, while the other items created with a 3D printer are stupidly expensive.

      Report Post » sick6james  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 3:24am

      I would love a 3D printer to play with. Yes, they are available NOW! They are not cheap, however.

      Break a part, scan it in and make a new one. Great!

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 3:27am

      Before you get too excited, they don’t make body parts.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • Able Witness
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:28pm

    So long as the parts are generated from the patient’s own cells, there is no controversy. Turns out that the human body still has stem cells even if the person is over 50. Newborn umbilical cords, which are often simply thrown away, are also rich sources of stem cells. Another effort few hear about is the masking of cells from the body’s immune system. For instance, pancreatic islet cells from lab pigs can be placed in humans to make insulin. If these are hidden from the immune system, the person’s health is restored. Everybody wins, companies profit and expand, patients suffer less, and when perfected, such procedures will be less expensive than paying ongoing medical bills for chronic diseases.

    Report Post »  
  • mikem1969
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:24pm

    Maybe now they can grow a brain for all of the libs, progressives and democrats. Then they would finaly understand what fools they truly are.

    Report Post »  
  • mr.goodvibe
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:17pm

    What, what, what! You mean they don’t need human embryo cells, just like they can do stem cell therapy with a persons own stem cells from there skin. Kind of shows that the argument for harvrsting human embryos is completely uneeded and evil!

    Report Post » mr.goodvibe  
  • Cruelnunusual
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:14pm

    Grow a brain and give them to the liberals.

    Report Post » Cruelnunusual  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:13pm

    When they can make all the body parts, you’ll never die. You’ll just gradually become somebody else.

    qpwillie  
    • Able Witness
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:31pm

      We are not the same people we were 5 years ago anyway.

      Report Post »  
    • SERUM
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:58pm

      Bidens’ not himself every five minutes…

      Report Post »  
    • sick6james
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:13pm

      If I could stay 25 forever, I’d be fine with it.

      Report Post » sick6james  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:24pm

      Read the actual story written by Isacc Aasimov…A new thinking-hunamoid-robot is sold to a family. It lives through several lifetimes, wanting to be more and more human. Finally, after about 200yrs, he is physically(through human-body implants) 99%human…only he realizes this is not what it is to be finally human…he has to…die. To outlive your family and all friends…there is no real life. Life has a beginning…,and an end. This is part of which makes life…exciting.

      Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on May 8, 2012 at 10:44pm

      Gwiz….“Bicentennial Man” By one of the greats.

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Jackie Rogers, Jr.
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:12pm

    I’m a cyborg, but that’s ok.

    Report Post » Jackie Rogers, Jr.  
  • Hickory
    Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:11pm

    Maybe they can grow some backbones for the wimpy Republicans in the House and Senate.

    Report Post » Hickory  
    • MrObvious
      Posted on May 7, 2012 at 10:15pm

      Wouldn’t make any difference, as their back bones are naturally floppy like that.
      Their ability to bend over backwards for bipartisanship is part of who they are.
      Only voting them out can fix the problem.

      Report Post »  

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