Well they don’t grow on trees but in the near future you may
well be seeing stem cells grow a whole range of organs. Perhaps stem cells are
known mostly for their ability to grow into any type of cell. This development
although it’s comparatively new is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible;
we’ve even managed to grow a new heart entirely from stem cells.
Between April 2013 and March 2014 nearly 5,000 people had
organ transplants. Although one major problem we have is that sometimes the
person’s own immune system detects that the organ is a foreign object and
rejects it. The hope is that if the organ is made from your own cells the success
rate will be much higher.
Currently around 120,000 people are waiting for an organ
transplant - stem cell organs could mean organs would be available in days
rather than potentially years. To grow a new heart (or any other organ), it all
starts off with a donor organ that doesn’t necessarily have to come from a
human. They then remove all the cells, this leaves the scientists with a
protein scaffolding which is then repopulated with the patient’s own stem
cells.
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| This image shows a new heart being grown in a lab |
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