New technologies will make it possible to grow organs. A unique technique for growing organs for transplantation from the patient’s own cells will appear in Russia

The post-industrial pace of human development, namely science and technology, is so great that it was impossible to imagine it 100 years ago. What previously could only be read about in popular science fiction has now appeared in the real world.

21st century medicine is more advanced than ever. Diseases that were previously considered deadly are now being successfully treated. However, the problems of oncology, AIDS and many other diseases have not yet been solved. Fortunately, in the near future there will be a solution to these problems, one of which will be the cultivation of human organs.

Fundamentals of Bioengineering

Science, which uses the information basis of biology and uses analytical and synthetic methods to solve its problems, originated not so long ago. Unlike conventional engineering, which uses technical sciences, mostly mathematics and physics, for its activities, bioengineering goes further and uses innovative methods in the form of molecular biology.

One of the main tasks of the newly created scientific and technical sphere is the cultivation of artificial organs in laboratory conditions for the purpose of their further transplantation into the body of a patient whose organ has failed due to damage or wear and tear. By relying on three-dimensional cellular structures, scientists have been able to make progress in studying the effects of various diseases and viruses on activity. human organs.

Unfortunately, these are not full-fledged organs yet, but only organoids - rudiments, an unfinished collection of cells and tissues that can only be used as experimental samples. Their performance and livability are tested on experimental animals, mainly on various rodents.

Historical reference. Transplantology

The growth of bioengineering as a science was preceded by a long period of development of biology and other sciences, the purpose of which was to study human body. At the beginning of the 20th century, transplantology received impetus for its development, the task of which was to study the possibility of transplanting a donor organ to another person. The creation of techniques capable of preserving donor organs for some time, as well as the availability of experience and detailed plans for transplantation, allowed surgeons from all over the world to successfully transplant organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys in the late 60s.

On this moment The principle of transplantation is most effective if the patient is in danger of deadly danger. The main problem is acute shortage donor organs. Patients can wait for their turn for years without getting it. In addition, there is high risk the fact that the transplanted donor organ may not take root in the recipient’s body, since the patient’s immune system will consider it as foreign object. Into confrontation this phenomenon Immunosuppressants were invented, which, however, are more likely to cripple than to cure - human immunity is catastrophically weakened.

Advantages of artificial creation over transplantation

One of the main competitive differences between the method of growing organs and transplanting them from a donor is that in laboratory conditions organs can be produced on the basis of tissues and cells of the future recipient. Basically, stem cells are used that have the ability to differentiate into cells of certain tissues. The scientist is able to control this process from the outside, which significantly reduces the risk of future organ rejection by the human immune system.

Moreover, using the method of artificially growing organs, it is possible to produce an unlimited number of them, thereby satisfying the vital needs of millions of people. The principle of mass production will significantly reduce the price of organs, saving millions of lives and significantly increasing human survival and pushing back the date of its biological death.

Advances in bioengineering

Today, scientists are able to grow the rudiments of future organs - organoids, on which they test various diseases, viruses and infections in order to trace the infection process and develop counteraction tactics. The success of the functioning of organoids is tested by transplanting them into the bodies of animals: rabbits, mice.

It is also worth noting that bioengineering has achieved certain successes in creating full-fledged tissues and even in growing organs from stem cells, which, unfortunately, cannot yet be transplanted into humans due to their inoperability. However, at the moment, scientists have learned to create artificially cartilage, blood vessels and other connecting elements.

Skin and bones

Not long ago, scientists at Columbia University managed to create a bone fragment with a structure similar to a joint. lower jaw connecting it to the base of the skull. The fragment was obtained through the use of stem cells, as in growing organs. A little later, the Israeli company Bonus BioGroup managed to invent a new method of recreating human bone, which was successfully tested on a rodent - the artificially grown bone was transplanted into one of its paws. In this case, stem cells were again used, only they were obtained from the patient’s adipose tissue and subsequently placed on a gel-like bone scaffold.

Since the 2000s, doctors have been using specialized hydrogels and methods of natural regeneration of damaged skin to treat burns. Modern experimental techniques make it possible to cure severe burns in a few days. The so-called Skin Gun sprays a special mixture of the patient's stem cells onto the damaged surface. There are also major advances in creating stable functioning skin with blood and lymphatic vessels.

Recently, scientists from Michigan managed to grow part of the muscle tissue, which, however, is twice as weak as the original. Similarly, scientists in Ohio created three-dimensional stomach tissues that were able to produce all the enzymes needed for digestion.

Japanese scientists have accomplished the almost impossible - they have grown a fully functioning human eye. The problem with transplantation is that to attach optic nerve eyes to the brain is not yet possible. In Texas, lungs were also grown artificially in a bioreactor, but without blood vessels, which casts doubt on their functionality.

Development prospects

It won’t be long until the moment in history when most organs and tissues created under artificial conditions can be transplanted into humans. Already, scientists from all over the world have developed projects and experimental samples, some of which are not inferior to the originals. Skin, teeth, bones, everything internal organs after some time it will be possible to create in laboratories and sell to people in need.

New technologies are also accelerating the development of bioengineering. 3D printing, which has become widespread in many areas of human life, will also be useful in growing new organs. 3D bioprinters have already been used experimentally since 2006, and in the future they will be able to create three-dimensional workable models of biological organs by transferring cell cultures to a biocompatible substrate.

General conclusion

Bioengineering as a science, the purpose of which is to grow tissues and organs for their further transplantation, originated not so long ago. The leaping pace at which it is marching along the path of progress is characterized by significant achievements that will save millions of lives in the future.

Bones and internal organs grown from stem cells will eliminate the need for donor organs, the quantity of which is already in a state of shortage. Scientists already have many developments, the results of which are not yet very productive, but have enormous potential.

A bioprinter is a biological variation of reprap technology, a device capable of creating any organ from cells, depositing cells layer by layer, has already been created. In December 2009, the American company Organovo and the Australian company Invetech developed a bioprinter designed for small-scale industrial production. Instead of growing the desired organ in a test tube, it is much easier to print it - this is what the developers of the concept think.

Development of the technology began several years ago. Researchers at several institutes and universities are still working on this technology. But Professor Gabor Forgacs and the staff of his Forgacslab laboratory at the University of Missouri as part of the Organ Printing project, who revealed new subtleties of bioprinting back in 2007, were more successful in this field. To commercialize their developments, the professor and collaborators founded the Organovo campaign. The campaign created the NovoGen technology, which included all the necessary details of bioprinting, both in the biological part and in the hardware part.

A laser calibration system and a robotic head positioning system with an accuracy of several micrometers have been developed. This is very important for placing the cells in the correct position. The first experimental printers for Organovo (and according to its “sketches”) were built by nScrypt (Figure 2). But those devices were not yet adapted for practical use, and were used to polish the technology.

In May 2009, the Organovo campaign chose the medical company Invetech as an industrial partner. This company has more than 30 years of experience in the production of laboratory and medical equipment, including computerized ones. In early December, the first copy of a 3D bioprinter incorporating NovoGen technology was shipped from Invetech to Organovo. The new product is distinguished by its compact size, intuitive computer interface, high degree of integration of components and high reliability. In the near future, Invetech intends to supply several more of the same devices for Organovo, and it will already be distributing the new product to the scientific community. New device has such modest dimensions that it can be placed in a biological cabinet, which is necessary to provide a sterile environment during the printing process

It must be said that bioprinting is not the only way to artificially create organs. However, classic way cultivation requires, first of all, to make a frame that defines the shape of the future organ. At the same time, the frame itself carries the danger of becoming the initiator of inflammation of the organ.

The advantage of a bioprinter is that it does not require such a framework. The shape of the organ is determined by the printing device itself, arranging the cells in the required order. The bioprinter itself has two heads filled with two types of ink. The first uses cells as ink various types, and in the second - auxiliary materials (supporting hydrogel, collagen, growth factors). The printer can have more than two “colors” - if you need to use different cells or auxiliary materials of various types.

A special feature of NovoGen technology is that printing is not carried out by individual cells. The printer immediately deposits a conglomerate of several tens of thousands of cells. This is the main difference between NovoGen technology and other bioprinting technologies.

The printer operation diagram is shown in Figure 4.

So, first the required tissues are grown. The grown tissue is then cut into cylinders in a diameter to length ratio of 1:1 (point a). Next - point b - these cylinders are temporarily placed in a special nutrient medium, where they take the form of small balls. The diameter of such a ball is 500 micrometers (half a millimeter). The orange color of the fabric is achieved using a special dye. Next, the beads are loaded into a cartridge (point c) -- which contains pipettes that are filled with beads in a one-by-one order. The three-dimensional bioprinter itself (point d) must deposit these spheroids with micrometer precision (that is, the error must be less than a thousandth of a millimeter). The printer is also equipped with cameras that can monitor the printing process in real time.

The created sample printer works with three “colors” at once - two types of cells (in Forgach’s latest experiments these were cardiac muscle cells and epithelial cells) - and the third is a mixture that includes a fastening gel containing collagen, growth factor and a number of other substances. This mixture allows the organ to maintain its shape before the cells grow together (point d).

According to Gabor, the printer does not reproduce the structure of the organ exactly. However, this is not required. The natural program of the cells itself corrects the structure of the organ.

The diagram of the assembly of the organ and the fusion of the balls into the organ is shown in Figure 5.

During the experiments, a bioprinter printed a “heart” from endothelial cells and chicken heart muscle cells (Figure 6). After 70 hours, the balls grew together into a single system, and after 90 hours, the “heart” began to contract. Moreover, endothelial cells formed structures similar to capillaries. Also muscle cells, which initially contracted chaotically, over time independently synchronized and began to contract simultaneously. However, this heart prototype is not yet suitable for practical use - even if human cells are used instead of chicken cells - bioprinting technology must be further improved.

A much better printer does a better job of creating more simple organs-- for example, pieces of human skin or blood vessels. When printing blood vessels, collagen glue is applied not only to the edges of the vessel, but also to the middle. And then, when the cells grow together, the glue is easily removed. The walls of the vessel consist of three layers of cells - endothelium, smooth muscle and fibroblasts. But research has shown that only one layer consisting of a mixture of these cells can be reproduced in printing - the cells themselves migrate and line up in three homogeneous layers. This fact can facilitate the printing process of many organs. Thus, Forgacs' team can already create very thin and branching vessels of any shape. Researchers are now working to build up a layer of muscle on the vessels, which will make the vessels suitable for implantation. Of particular interest are vessels less than 6 millimeters thick, since suitable synthetic materials exist for larger ones.

An illustration with other bioprinting experiments is in Figure 7.

Point a is a ring of two types of bio-ink. They are specially painted with different fluorescent substances. Below is the same ring after 60 hours. The cells grow together on their own. Point b is the development of a tube made from the rings shown in the picture. Item c above is a 12-layer tube composed of umbilical cord smooth muscle cells; point c, below - a branched tube - a prototype of vessels for transplantation. Point d - construction of contracting cardiac tissue. On the left is a lattice (6 by 6) of spheroids with cardiac muscle cells (without endothelium), printed on collagen “biopaper”. If endothelial cells are added to the same “ink” (the second picture is in red, cardiomyocytes are shown here in green), they first fill the space between the spheroids, and after 70 hours (point d, right) the entire tissue becomes a single whole. Bottom: graph of cell contraction of the resulting tissue. As can be seen, the amplitude (measured vertically) of the contractions is approximately 2 microns, and the period is about two seconds (time marked horizontally) (photos and illustrations by Forgacs et al).

Figure 8 also shows the structure of printed heart tissue (photos by Forgacs etal).

The first samples of a 3D bioprinter from Organovo and Invetech will be available to research and medical organizations in 2011.

It should be noted that Organovo is not the only player in this market. Some time ago, the Western biotechnology company Tengion presented its technology for recreating organs. There are some differences between the Tengion and Organovo approaches. For example, the two technologies have different approaches to organizing living cells into groups to create tissues; in addition, the companies' printers have different approaches to the problem of obtaining samples and gene analysis. Both companies note that they face the same difficulties - it is quite difficult to reproduce complex fabrics, and both printers take a very long time to set up for one type of 3D printing. Also, designing the printer itself is only part of the task. It is also necessary to create special software that will help simulate the fabric before printing and quickly reconfigure the printer. The printer itself should be able to create the most complex organ in a few hours. Thin capillaries should be fed as soon as possible nutrients, otherwise the organ will die. However, both companies have the same final goal- “print” of human organs.

Initially, the equipment will be used for research purposes. For example, printed liver fragments can be used in toxicological experiments. Later, artificial fragments of skin and muscles, capillaries, bones can be used to treat severe injuries and for plastic surgery. Both Organovo and Tengion agree that equipment capable of quickly and efficiently printing entire organs will appear around 2025-2030. The introduction of bioprinting will greatly reduce the cost of creating new organs. New organs can be used to replace obsolete parts of the human body and, as a result, radically prolong life (immortalism). In the future, bioprinting will allow us to invent new biological organs for the improvement of humans and animals and the invention of artificial living beings.

Bioprinting technologies.

This post is about bioprinters - an invention that will help a person grow new organs to replace those worn out by old age and thus significantly extend his life.

I already talked about the bioprinting technology developed by Gabor Forgacs in the Organovo campaign in one of my previous posts. However, this is not the only technology for creating artificial organs from cells. To be fair, there are others worth considering. So far, they are all far from mass application, but the fact that such work is being carried out is encouraging and gives us hope that at least one line of artificial organs will achieve success.

The first is the development of American scientists Vladimir Mironov from medical university South Carolina (Medical University of South Carolina) and Thomas Boland from Clemson University. The research was first started by Dr. Boland, who came up with the idea and began research in his laboratory, and attracted his colleague to it.

Together, using a printer, they were able to implement the technology of depositing cells layer by layer. Old Hewlett-Packard printers were used for the experiment - old models were used because their cartridges had large enough holes so as not to damage the cells. The cartridges were carefully cleaned of ink, and instead of ink they were filled with cell mass. We also had to slightly redesign the printer and create software to control the temperature, electrical resistance and viscosity of the “live ink”.

Other scientists had previously tried to apply cells onto a plane layer by layer, but these were the first to be able to do this using an inkjet printer.

Scientists are not going to stop at drawing cells onto a plane.

To print a three-dimensional organ, it is proposed to use an exotic thermoreversible (or “thermoreversible”) gel, recently created by Anna Gutowska from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as an adhesive to connect cells.

This gel is liquid at 20 degrees Celsius and hardens at temperatures higher than 32 degrees. And, fortunately, it is not harmful to biological tissues.

When printing, a single layer of cells and layers of gel are deposited onto a glass substrate (see Figure 1). If the layers are thin enough, the cells then grow together. The gel does not interfere with cell fusion, and at the same time gives the structure strength until the cells grow together. After which the gel can be easily removed with water.

The team has already conducted several experiments using readily available cell cultures, a type of hamster ovary cell.

According to the authors, three-dimensional printing can solve the problem of creating new organs for medicine to replace damaged ones or growing organs for biological experiments. Most likely, the technology for growing large areas of skin to treat people affected by burns will be the first to be put into mass use. Since the starting cells for culturing the “living ink” will be taken from the patient himself, so there should not be a problem with rejection.

Note also that traditional organ growing can take several weeks - so the patient may not wait the desired organ. When an organ is transplanted from another person, usually only every tenth person manages to wait his turn for the organ; the rest die. But bioprinting technology, given enough cells, can take just a few hours to build an organ.

During printing, problems such as feeding the artificial organ will need to be addressed. Obviously, the printer must print an organ with all the vessels and capillaries, through which nutrients should be supplied during the printing process (however, as the experiments of Gabor Forgacs have shown, at least some organs are capable of forming capillaries on their own). Also, the organ should be printed in no more than a few hours - therefore, to increase the strength of cell attachments, it is proposed to add collagen protein to the bonding solution.

According to scientists, bioprinters will appear in clinics within a few years. The prospects that open up are enormous.

For printing using this technology complex organ consisting of a large number of cells, cartridges with a wide variety of inks are required. However, Dr. Phil Campbell and his colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University in America, in particular robotics professor Lee Weiss - who are also experimenting with bioprinting - have come up with a way to reduce number of types of ink without harm to the resulting organ.

To do this, he proposed using a solution containing the growth factor BMP-2 as one of the bioflowers. As another biocolor, stem cells obtained from the leg muscles of mice were used.

Next, the printer printed four squares with sides of 750 micrometers on the glass - in each of them the concentration of growth hormone was different. Stem cells that found themselves in areas with growth factors began to turn into cells bone tissue. And the higher the concentration of BMP-2, the higher the “yield” of differentiated cells. Stem cells that ended up in clean areas turned into muscle cells, since this development path stem cell selects by default.

Previously cells various types were grown separately. But, according to the scientist, growing cells together makes this technique closer to natural. "You can create a scaffold structure in which one end develops bone, another end develops tendon, and the other end develops muscle. This gives you more control over tissue regeneration," says the author of the work. And only two types of ink will be used, which simplifies the design of the bioprinter.

Scientists from Russia also became interested in the problem of controlled changes in cellular structures. “Today, there are a lot of developments related to growing tissue from stem cells,” comments scientist Nikolai Adreanov. -- Best results scientists have achieved in growing epithelial tissue, since its cells divide very quickly. And now researchers are trying to use stem cells to create nerve fibers, whose cells in vivo are recovering very slowly.”

Also, according to Lee Weiss, who developed the printer, their technology is still far from industrial implementation. In addition, expanding knowledge about biology would not hurt. "I can print some pretty complex things. But probably one of the biggest limiting factors (for this technology) is understanding the biology. You have to know exactly what to print." Alexander Revishchin, candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, points out another problem. “In principle, printing tissues with “cellular ink” is possible, but the technology is still imperfect,” he noted. “For example, if stem cells are transplanted into unusual conditions, these cells will lose the thread of natural development and communication with surrounding cells, which can lead to their degeneration into a tumor." stem cell bioprinter organ

But let’s hope that the technology will be developed in the coming years.

Scientists have created a human-pig chimera for the first time - an article describing this experiment was published on January 26 in the scientific journal Cell. An international team of scientists led by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies (USA), grew embryos containing human stem cells in pigs for 28 days. Of the two thousand hybrid embryos, 186 developed into organisms in which human part was one per ten thousand cells.

Chimeras are organisms named after the monster from Greek myths, which combines a goat, a lion and a snake, are obtained by combining the genetic material of two animals, but without DNA recombination (that is, the exchange of genetic information that occurs when a child is conceived). As a result, chimeras have two sets of genetically dissimilar cells, but they function as whole organ change. In the experiment Cell writes about, scientists removed embryos from a pregnant sow and infused them with induced human stem cells, after which the embryos were sent back to develop in the pig's body. Chimeras were not allowed to be born - they got rid of them already early stage female pregnancy.

Why do scientists need hybrid organisms?

Niche for organs

One of the main goals of the experiment is to grow human organs in animal bodies. Some patients wait for years in line for a transplant, and the creation of biological material in this way could save thousands of lives. “We are still far from this, but the first and important step has been taken,” says Izpisua Belmonte. A human organ grown in a chimera from the patient's own cells would solve the problem of transplant rejection by the patient's body, since it would be grown from his own cells.
Scientists are going to develop human organs in the body of an animal using gene editing (namely in an innovative way CRISPR-Cas9). Initially, the DNA of the animal embryo will be changed so that it does not develop a necessary organ, such as a heart or liver. This “niche” will be filled by human stem cells.

Experiments show that almost any organ can be created in a chimera - even one that is not provided for in an experimental animal. Another experiment by the same group of scientists showed that injecting rat stem cells into the mouse’s body allows them to grow a gallbladder, although mice do not have this organ evolutionarily.

Back in 2010, Japanese scientists created a rat pancreas in the same way. Izpisua Belmonte's team was able to grow a rat's heart and eyes in a mouse's body. On January 25, one of his colleagues reported in an article in the journal Nature that his group was able to conduct the reverse experiment - growing a mouse pancreas in a rat and successfully transplanting it. The organ functioned properly for more than a year.

An important condition for the success of experiments with chimeras is correct ratio the size of the organisms being connected. For example, scientists previously tried to create chimeras of pigs and rats, but the experiment was unsuccessful. Much more compatible are people, cows and pigs. Izpisua Belmonte's team chose to use pigs to create the human chimera simply because they are cheaper to use than cows.

Hybrids Among Us

History has known cases of transplantation of certain body parts from animals, including pigs, to people before. Back in the 19th century, American doctor Richard Kissam successfully transplanted a cornea from a six-month-old pig into a young man. But the full-fledged creation of chimeras began in the 1960s, when the American scientist Beatrice Mintz obtained the first hybrid organism in the laboratory by combining the cells of two different species of mice - white and black. A little later, another French scientist, Nicole le Doirin, connected the germinal layers of a chicken and quail embryo and in 1973 published a paper on the development of a hybrid organism. In 1988, Irving Weisman of Stanford University created a mouse with a human immune system (for AIDS research) and subsequently implanted human stem cells into mouse brains for neurobiology research. In 2012, the first primate chimeras were born: in National Center In a primate study in Oregon, scientists created macaques containing six different DNAs.

Moreover, history already knows cases of people-chimeras, although society does not call them such, and they themselves may not be aware of it. In 2002, Boston resident Karen Keegan passed genetic test to determine whether she can receive a kidney from one of her relatives. Tests showed the impossible: the patient’s DNA did not match the DNA of her biological sons. It turned out that Keegan had congenital chimerism, which develops in an embryo as a result of a malfunction in the fertilization process: her body contained two genetic sets, one in blood cells, the other in cells in the tissues of her body.

Formally, a person who has received a foreign transplant can also be called a chimera. Bone marrow, - for example, in the treatment of leukemia. In some cases, in the blood of such a patient, cells with both his original DNA and the DNA of the donor can be found. Another example is the so-called microchimerism. In the body of a pregnant woman, the movement of fetal stem cells carrying its genome into the organs of the expectant mother - kidneys, liver, lungs, heart and even brain - can be observed. Scientists suggest that this can happen in almost every pregnancy, and such cells can remain in a new place throughout a woman’s life.

But in all these cases, chimeras are formed (naturally or not) from two people. Another thing is the combination of a person and an animal. Transplanting tissue from animals to humans can make them vulnerable to new diseases, which is why our the immune system not ready. Many are also frightened by the possibility of endowing animals with human qualities, even raising the level of consciousness. Scientists are trying to assure the public and authorities that such experiments will be strictly controlled by laboratories and used only for good. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has never funded such developments, citing their unethicality. But in August 2016, NIH officials said they might reconsider the moratorium (a decision has not yet been made).

Unlike the NIH, the US Army generously funds such experiments. His chimera project, which involved breeding a pig with a heart from another pig, recently received a $1.4 million military grant to experiment with growing a human heart in a pig, according to University of Minnesota cardiologist Daniel Garry.

Before starting to discuss the topic of the article, I want to do small excursion, which is the human body. This will help you understand how important the work of any link in a complex system is. human body, what can happen if there is a failure, and how modern medicine tries to solve problems if any organ fails.

The human body as a biological system

The human body is a complex biological system that has a special structure and is endowed with specific functions. Within this system there are several levels of organization. The highest integration is the organismic level. Further descending are the systemic, organ, tissue, cellular and molecular levels of organization. The coordinated work of all levels of the system depends on harmonious work the whole human body.
If some organ or organ system does not work correctly, then the violations affect more lower levels organizations such as tissues and cells.

Molecular level– this is the first brick. As the name suggests, the entire human body, like all living things, consists of countless molecules.

The cellular level can be imagined as the diverse component composition of molecules that form different cells.

Cells united into tissues of different morphology and functioning form the tissue level.

Human organs contain a variety of tissues. They ensure the normal functioning of any organ. This is the organ level of organization.

Next level organization - systemic. Certain anatomically united organs perform a more complex function. For example, digestive system, consisting of various organs, ensures the digestion of food entering the body, the absorption of digestive products and the removal of unused residues.
And the highest level of organization is the organismic level. All systems and subsystems of the body work like a well-tuned musical instrument. Coordinated work of all levels is achieved thanks to the mechanism of self-regulation, i.e. support at a certain level of various biological indicators. At the slightest imbalance in the functioning of any level, the human body begins to work intermittently.

What are stem cells?

The term “stem cells” was introduced into science by the Russian histologist A. Maksimov in 1908. Stem cells (SC) are unspecialized cells. They are still considered as immature cells. They are present in almost all multicellular organisms, including humans. Cells reproduce themselves by dividing. They are capable of turning into specialized cells, i.e. various tissues and organs can form from them.

The most a large number of KS in infants and children; in adolescence, the number of stem cells in the body decreases 10 times, and mature age- 50 times! A significant decrease in the number of SCs during aging, as well as serious illnesses reduces the body's ability to heal itself. This leads to an unpleasant conclusion: the life activity of many important systems organs decreases.

Stem cells and the future of medicine

Medical scientists have long paid attention to the plasticity of SCs and the theoretical possibility of growing various tissues and organs of the human body from them. Work on studying the properties of SC began in the second half of the last century. As always, the first studies were carried out on laboratory animals. By the beginning of this century, attempts began to use SCs for growing human tissues and organs. I would like to tell you about the most interesting results in this direction.

Japanese scientists in 2004 managed to grow capillary cells in laboratory conditions. blood vessels from SK.

The following year, American researchers from Florida State University managed to grow brain cells from SCs. Scientists said such cells can be implanted into the brain and could be used to treat diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In 2006, Swiss scientists from the University of Zurich grew human heart valves in their laboratory. For this experiment, SCs from amniotic fluid were used. Dr. S. Hoerstrap believes the technique could be used to grow heart valves for an unborn child who has heart defects. After birth, the baby can receive new valves grown from amniotic fluid stem cells.

In the same year, American doctors grew an entire organ in the laboratory - bladder. SCs were taken from the person for whom this organ was grown. Dr. E. Atala, director of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, said that cells and special substances are placed in special form, which remains in the incubator for several weeks. After this, the finished organ is transplanted into the patient. Such operations are now performed as usual.

In 2007, at an international medical symposium in Yokahama, Japanese specialists from the University of Tokyo presented a report on an amazing scientific experiment. From a single stem cell taken from the cornea and placed in a nutrient medium, it was possible to grow a new cornea. The scientists intended to begin clinical studies and further use this technology in eye treatment.

The Japanese are the leaders in growing a tooth from a single cell. The SC was transplanted onto a collagen scaffold and the experiment began. After growing, the tooth looked like a natural one and had all its components, including dentin, blood vessels, enamel, etc. The tooth was transplanted into a laboratory mouse, took root and functioned normally. Japanese scientists see great prospects for using this method in growing a tooth from one SC and then transplanting the cell into its owner.

Japanese doctors from Kyoto University managed to obtain kidney and adrenal tissue and a fragment of a renal tubule from SCs.

Every year, millions of people around the world die from diseases of the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, muscular dystrophy etc. Stem cells can help treat them. However, there is one point that can slow down the use of stem cells in medical practice is the lack of international legislative framework: where the material can be taken from, how long it can be stored, how the patient and his doctor should interact when using SC.

Probably, the conduct of medical experiments and the development of such a law should go in parallel.

) the technology is not used on humans, but active development and experimentation is underway in this area. According to the director of the Federal Scientific Center for Transplantology and Artificial Organs named after Shumakov, Professor Sergei Gauthier, growing organs will become available in 10-15 years.

Situation

The idea of artificially growing human organs has not left scientists for more than half a century, since donor organs began to be transplanted into people. Even if it is possible to transplant most organs into patients, the issue of donation is currently very pressing. Many patients die without receiving their organ. Artificial cultivation organs can save millions of human lives. Some advances in this direction have already been achieved using regenerative medicine methods.

Notes

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Europe- (Europe) Europe is a densely populated, highly urbanized part of the world named after a mythological goddess, forming together with Asia the continent of Eurasia and having an area of about 10.5 million km² (approximately 2% of the total area of the Earth) and ... Investor Encyclopedia

Books

Diseases of domestic and farm birds. In 3 volumes, . The book “Diseases of Domestic and Farm Poultry” is a translation of the tenth, expanded and revised edition of the manual on bird diseases, in the preparation of which…
Diseases of domestic and farm birds (number of volumes: 3), Kalnek B.U.. The book “Diseases of domestic and farm birds” is a translation of the tenth, expanded and revised edition of the manual on diseases of birds, in the preparation of which they took…