Device keeps donor livers alive for over 24 hours

It is commonly known that there are not enough organs being donated to supply all patients in need of a replacement. Another factor that contributes to scarcity is the fact that it is not always easy to get a harvested organ to the site of transplantation in time. Organs can deteriorate in quality during transit, accounting for a loss of over 2000 livers each year, for example. To counter this, scientists have developed a device that can keep a donor liver alive for over 24 hours, much longer than what is currently possible with existing techniques.

Stem cells shown to repair liver after transplantation

Theoretically, stem cells should be able to regenerate all damaged tissues in our body. Basically every organ has its own mature stem cells that are able to produce new cells when needed, although some are more active than others. So far, we have seen limited success with the use of stem cells. A prime example was the generation of an artificial kidney based on stem cells, which was successfully transplanted. Now, scientists have shown capable of growing liver cells out of specific stem cells, and also transplanted them successfully, paving the way for a cure for liver disease.

Engineers make functional human ears with 3D printer

3D printers have rapidly gained interest from both scientists as well as the general public. Hailed as machines that can make everything, they are especially of interest to researchers in the field of regenerative medicine. Because 3D printers are capable of printing biological material as well, it is possible to create artificial tissues and organs in the lab, and use those for transplantation. In a recent study, scientists from the Cornell University managed to print a complete human ear.

First bionic eye now available for sale

Blindness has been impossible to cure for a very long time. More recently, we have begun to understand how the eye turns light into the electrical signals that stimulate the nerves leading to the brain. Because the brain is where our eye sight is actually formed, it is necessary to copy the necessary electrical pulses, should we wish to restore blindness in cases where the normal conduction system in the eye is no longer functional. An implant from the company Second Sight is now available in Europe, and has been shown to restore vision at least partly in transplanted patients.

Creating organs by printing stem cells

Because of a lack of donors it is highly necessary to find an alternative source of organs that can be used for transplantation. Recent studies have shown the success of using stem cells for lab-grown organs, but it is still troublesome to produce such tissues in high quantities. 3D-printing technologies appear to be the solution for this problem, as scientists have shown that such printers can be used for biological material as well. So far, however, stem cells could not be printed because they are too delicate and would die in the process. Researchers have now found a solution for this problem as well, paving the way for 3D-printed organs based on stem cells.

Doctors perform a double arm transplant

War can leave devastating scars on the bodies of soldiers, and the loss of arms and legs is frequent. As we are unable to regrow organs or limbs, doctors have resorted to transplants from donors. Getting an arm or leg to function again, however, is extremely difficult. Transplanted limbs need to be connected to the brain in order for the recipient to be able to use it. Doctors from the John Hopkins Hospital attempted to give two new arms to an Iraqi war veteran, an operation that has only been attempted a couple of times. The recipient, a 26-year-old, says he can already able to feel his 'new' arms a little bit.

Lab-grown kidney appears functional in animals

We are getting better in optimizing the compatibility of organs, and have thereby made transplantations feasible, but the lack of available donors is a huge problem. Attempts are being made to get people signed up for donor programs, but this is not enough to cover the gap. Novel attempts are being made to grow artificial organs in the lab. While it has been possible to grow tissues for quite some time, creating a fully-fledged organ suitable for transplantation has so far been impossible. Scientists from the UK and Italy have however succeeded in getting a functional lab-grown kidney transplanted in an animal.

Finding reveals cause for failure of transplanted organs

Organ transplantation has the potential to save people's lives. One of the major hurdles, in addition to actually acquiring the necessary organs, is rejection. That means the body rejects the transplanted organ because it is recognized as foreign, and therefore unwanted. Nowadays, we are able to suppress the acute form of rejection that is associated with organ transplantation, but chronic rejection, that develops over the course of many years, has proven to be a lot harder to get rid of. Patients have to take drugs that suppress the immune system to maintain usability of their newly acquired organ, something which is not beneficial for the body's ability to fight off infections. In the search of ways to improve organ compatibility, scientists stumbled upon a small genetic variant that may prove to be important for the success of a transplant.

Findings reveal new difficulties for transplantations

There is a great need for more organ donors, because there are not enough replacements, such as heart, kidney or lung, to provide all patients with the organs they require. Because being an organ donor can save lives, in case yours can no longer be saved, getting registered as a donor is something everyone of us should do. However, availability is not the only issue in transplantation. Scientists have had to put in a lot of effort in order to get transplantations to work, because our bodies are not quite prone to accepting organs from others. Due to our increased knowledge, we have gotten transplantation procedures to work, but scientists from the University of California in Berkeley have discovered new difficulties.

Scientists grow human liver inside mouse's head

One of the most promising fields of science is the artificial construction of tissues and organs that can be used for transplantation. After the discovery of stem cells, scientists thought they would be able to make anything and replace damaged tissues and organs in the body. It has proven to be much harder than originally thought, especially the growth of whole organs. To tackle one of the major problems with artificial organs, which is the lack of a blood vessel system providing the nutrients, researchers from Yokohama City University devised an interesting experiment: they tried to grow a human liver inside the head of a mouse.

Girl receives vein transplant with her own stem cells

For the first time in medical history, a patient has received a blood vessel transplant made from her own stem cells. After the surgery, the girl, only 10 years of age, recovered successfully and appears to be functioning pretty well with the artificially constructed portal vein, which transports blood coming from the intestines to the liver. The method, developed by the University of Gothenburg, is a prime example of how stem cells can be used to regenerate malfunctioning or dead tissues. Previous studies already showed that it is possible to create such artificial blood vessels.

Engineers create functioning blood vessels

Creating artificial organs could in the future solve the lack of organ donors and provide increased compatibility for the patient receiving an organ. However, there are several roadblocks on the way, including the lack of vascularisation in artificial tissues. Basically, that means stuff that scientists grow in the lab does not achieve growth of blood vessels, causing a lack of nutrients and oxygen, meaning tissues cannot fully develop. To create a functional organ, a blood vessel system is necessary, which is why scientists from the University of Washington have created a synthetic system that allows for artificial development.

Heart damage can be repaired with patient's own skin

While our body has several repair mechanisms, restoring lost organ function is usually not very easy. Organs such as the brain or the heart often do not recover after damage induced by a stroke or heart attack. When it comes to the heart, parts that do not receive any more oxygen and nutrients due to obstruction of coronary arteries die, leaving the patient with a partly dysfunctional heart. This reduces the pump function of the heart, which can, in severe cases, result in death. Because the body just removes the dead cells and fills holes with scar tissue, scientists are trying to regenerate the heart themselves. Stem cell therapy has been tried, but so far that remains problematic. Now, a study from Israeli researchers has shown how to repair damage by using a patient's own skin cells. It builds upon studies that have used a patient's own stem cells, which were found to be effective to restore heart damage. Isolating skin cells is much easier, meaning the Israeli therapy is of greater interest for clinical use.

Gallbladder holds stem cells that can cure disease

Stem cells can be found in various shapes in many organs. Some are 'true' stem cells that still have the ability to turn into any tissue type, and are mostly found in embryos. Our organs mainly hold those of the adult type, which are still capable of turning into various cell types, but have already committed to a certain lineage, limiting their possibilities. Scientists use stem cells to restore organ damage by regenerating tissue, which is why sources of stem cells usable for therapy are of great interest. A study presented at this year's International Liver Congress explains that gallbladder tissue, though normally disregarded, is a potential source for multipotent stem cells, similar to the adult ones described previously. Cells from the gallbladder can therefore possibly help us cure disease.

3D imaging gives hope for improved face transplants

Combining all sorts of relevant medical data in a complex 3D computer model should improve the way we do face transplantations. This is much needed, as accidents leaving patients with a disfigured face often leave permanent marks. Because we use our face to express and present ourselves, being able to perform better reparations can give disfigured people a much better life.

Brain cell transplant found to counter obesity

A study conducted by Harvard University yielded a surprising result, as they managed to decrease obesity in mice by transplanting a bunch of cells to their brain. These so-called neurons were placed in a part of the brain that is known to regulate food intake behaviour. Transplanted cells were found to survive, and contribute to brain function. Mice receiving the treatment ended up weighing about 30 percent less than their counterparts, who did not receive treatment. Brain cell transplants are not being performed in humans, but this could have important implications for the treatment of disorders which's underlying pathology starts in the brain.

Organ transplants double risk of developing cancer

A large comparison study has found that patients who received an organ transplant, being kidney, lung, heart or liver, have a much bigger chance to develop cancer. The researchers found that receiving an organ significantly increases the chance of developing a tumour in that particular organ. However, lung cancer was not only elevated in lung recipients, but also in kidney, liver and heart recipients. In addition, kidney cancer was found to be increased in kidney, heart and liver recipients. The overall increased risk on cancer after transplantation was found to be doubled compared to the general population, highlighting the need for proper screening after patients receive a new organ, and new therapies to accompany transplanted patients to decrease the risks.