New technologies will allow growing organs. A unique technique for growing organs for transplantation from the patient's own cells will appear in Russia

Post-industrial rates of development of mankind, namely science and technology, are so great that they could not be imagined 100 years ago. What used to be read only in popular science fiction has now appeared in the real world.

The level of development of medicine in the 21st century is higher than ever. Diseases that were considered deadly in the past are successfully treated today. 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, using the informational basis of biology and using 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 minted 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 deterioration. Based on three-dimensional cellular structures, scientists have been able to advance in the study of the impact of various diseases and viruses on activity. human organs.

Unfortunately, so far these are not full-fledged organs, but only organelles - 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 different 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Historical reference.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. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, transplantation received an impetus to its development, the task of which was to study the possibility of transplanting a donor organ to another person. The creation of methods 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 in case the patient is threatened deadly danger. The main problem lies in acute shortage donor organs. Patients can wait for their turn for years, without waiting for it. In addition, there is high risk the fact that a transplanted donor organ may not take root in the recipient's body, since it will be considered by the patient's immune system as foreign object. In confrontation this phenomenon immunosuppressants were invented, which, however, cripple rather than cure - human immunity is catastrophically weakening.

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, under laboratory conditions, organs can be produced on the basis of tissues and cells of the future recipient. Basically, stem cells are used, which 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 rejection of the organ by the human immune system.

Moreover, with the help of the method of artificial organ cultivation, 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.

Achievements in bioengineering

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

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

Skin and bones

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

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 with the patient's stem cells onto the damaged surface. There are also major advances in creating stable functioning skin with blood and lymph vessels.

Recently, scientists from Michigan managed to grow in the laboratory part 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 done the almost impossible - they have grown a fully functioning human eye. The problem with transplantation is what to attach optic nerve eyes to the brain is not yet possible. In Texas, it was also possible to grow lungs artificially in a bioreactor, but without blood vessels, which casts doubt on their performance.

Development prospects

It will not be long before the moment in history when it will be possible to transplant most of the organs and tissues created under artificial conditions to a person. Already, scientists from all over the world have developed projects, 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 been experimentally used since 2006, and in the future they will be able to create 3D workable models of biological organs by transferring cell cultures to a biocompatible basis.

General conclusion

Bioengineering as a science, the purpose of which is the cultivation of tissues and organs for their further transplantation, was born not so long ago. The leaping pace at which it is making progress is characterized by significant achievements that will save millions of lives in the future.

Stem-cell-grown bones and internal organs will eliminate the need for donor organs, which are already in short supply. Already, scientists have a lot of developments, the results of which are not very productive yet, but have great potential.

The bioprinter is a biological variation of the reprap technology, a device capable of creating any organ from cells, applying 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, according to the developers of the concept.

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

A laser calibration system and a robotic head positioning system have been developed with an accuracy of several micrometers. This is very important to place 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 technology.

In May 2009, the Organovo campaign selected 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. In early December, the first copy of the 3D bioprinter embodying NovoGen technology was shipped from Invetech to Organovo. The novelty is distinguished by compact dimensions, an intuitive computer interface, a high degree of integration of nodes and high reliability. In the near future, Invetech intends to supply several more of the same devices for Organovo, and it will already distribute the novelty in the scientific community. New device is so modest in size that it can be placed in a biological cabinet, which is necessary in order 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 sets 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 scaffold. The shape of the organ is set by the printing device itself, placing the cells in the required order. The bioprinter itself has two heads filled with two types of ink. Cells are used as ink in the first various types, and in the second - auxiliary materials (supporting hydrogel, collagen, growth factors). The printer may have more than two "colors" - if you want to use different cells or auxiliary materials of various kinds.

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

The scheme of the printer is shown in Figure 4.

So, the required tissues are grown first. 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 given with a special dye. Next, the beads are loaded into a cartridge (point c) -- which contains pipettes filled with beads in one-by-one order. The 3D bioprinter itself (point d) must print these spheroids with micrometer accuracy (that is, the error must be less than a thousandth of a millimeter). The printer is also equipped with cameras that are able to 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 heart muscle cells and epithelial cells) - and the third is a mixture that includes a bonding gel containing collagen, growth factor and a number of other substances. This mixture allows the organ to maintain its shape before the cells fuse together (point d).

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

The scheme of the assembly of the organ and the coalescence of the balls into the organ is shown in Figure 5.

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

The printer is much better at 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 are composed of three layers of cells - endothelium, smooth muscles and fibroblasts. But studies have shown that only one layer consisting of a mixture of these cells can be reproduced in print - the cells themselves migrate and line up in three homogeneous layers. This fact can facilitate the process of printing many organs. Thus, Forgach's team can already create very thin and branching vessels of any shape. Now the researchers are working on building up a layer of muscle on the vessels, which will make the vessels suitable for implantation. Vessels less than 6 millimeters thick are of particular interest, as suitable synthetic materials exist for larger ones.

Illustration with other bioprinting experiments -- in Figure 7.

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

Figure 8 also shows the structure of the printed heart tissues (photographs by Forgacs etal).

The first samples of the 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 organ replication technology. There are some differences between the Tengion and Organovo approaches. For example, the two technologies approach the organization of living cells into groups to create tissues in different ways, and the companies' printers also approach the problem of obtaining samples and gene analysis in different ways. Both companies note that they face the same difficulties - it is quite difficult to reproduce complex fabrics, both printers take a very long time to set up for one type of three-dimensional printing. Also, the development of the printer itself is only part of the task. You also need to create special software that will help you simulate fabric before printing and quickly reconfigure the printer. The printer itself must cope with the creation of the most complex organ in a few hours. Through thin capillaries, it should be applied as soon as possible nutrients otherwise the organ will die. However, both companies have the same ultimate 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 to 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 - a radical extension of life (immortalism). In the future, bioprinting will allow inventing new biological organs for the improvement of man 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 from old age and thus significantly extend his life.

I already talked about the bioprinting technology developed by Gabor Forgacz 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 to consider. So far, they are all far from mass application, but the fact that such work is being carried out pleases and inspires hope that at least one line of artificial organs will succeed.

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

Together, with the help of a printer, they were able to implement the technology of applying cells layer by layer. For the experiment, old Hewlett-Packard printers were taken - 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. I also had to redesign the printer somewhat, create software to control the temperature, electrical resistance and viscosity of "live ink".

Other scientists have tried to apply cells on a plane layer-by-layer before, but these were the first to be able to do this using an inkjet printer.

Scientists are not going to stop at applying cells to a plane.

In order to print a three-dimensional organ, the adhesive used to connect the cells is supposed to be an exotic thermo-reversible (or "thermoreversible") gel recently developed by Anna Gutowska of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

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

When printing on a glass substrate, they are applied through one layer of cells and layers of gel (see Figure 1). If the layers are thin enough, then the cells then coalesce. The gel does not interfere with the fusion of cells, and at the same time gives strength to the structure until the moment when the cells grow together. The gel can then be easily removed with water.

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

According to the authors, 3D 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 of growing large areas of skin to treat people affected by burns will be put into mass use first. Since the source cells for culturing "living ink" will be taken from the patient himself, so there should not be a problem with rejection.

Note also that traditional organ culture can take several weeks -- so the patient may not be able to wait. desired organ. When an organ is transplanted from another person, usually only one in ten manages to wait for their turn to receive an 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 already during the printing process (however, as the experiments of Gabor Forgacz showed, at least some organs are able to form capillaries on their own). Also, the organ must be printed in no more than a few hours - therefore, to increase the strength of cell attachments, it is supposed to add collagen protein to the bonding solution.

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

For printing with 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 the American Carnegie Mellon University (Carnegie Mellon University), in particular, robotics professor Lee Weiss - who are also experimenting with bioprinting - have come up with a way to reduce the number of kinds of ink without harm to the resulting organ.

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

Next, four squares with sides of 750 micrometers were applied to the glass by the printer - in each of them the concentration of growth hormone was different. Stem cells found in areas with growth factor began to turn into cells bone tissue. And the greater was the concentration of BMP-2, the higher the "harvest" of differentiated cells. Stem cells that ended up in clean areas turned into muscle cells, since this developmental path stem cell selects by default.

Earlier cells various kinds grown separately. But, according to the scientist, co-cultivation of cells makes this technique closer to natural. "You can create a structure of the substrate in which one end develops bone, another end develops tendon, and the third develops muscle. This gives you more control over tissue regeneration," says the author of the work. And at the same time, 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, a lot of developments are being carried out related to the cultivation of tissues from stem cells,” commented scientist Nikolai Adreanov. -- best results scientists have achieved when growing epithelial tissue because its cells are dividing 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, it would not hurt to expand the knowledge of biology. "I can print quite complex things. But probably one of the biggest limiting factors (for this technology) is understanding biology. You need 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 to another problem. “In principle, printing tissues with “cell ink” is possible, but the technology is still imperfect,” he noted. transformation into a tumor. stem cell bioprinter organ

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

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

Chimeras are organisms named after a 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 ism. In the experiment, which Cell writes about, scientists removed embryos from a pregnant sow and planted induced human stem cells in them, after which the embryos were sent back to develop in the body of a pig. Chimeras were not allowed to be born - they got rid of them for another 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 animals. Some patients ⁠wait for years in line for transplantation, and the creation of biological material ⁠in this way could save thousands of lives. “We are still far from it, but the first and important step has been taken,” says Ispisua 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, as 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 an animal embryo will be altered 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 the infusion of rat stem cells into the body of a mouse makes it possible to grow a gallbladder, although mice do not have this organ evolutionarily.

Back in 2010, Japanese scientists created a pancreas for a rat in the same way. Ispisua Belmonte's team was also able to grow a rat heart and eyes in mice. On January 25, one of his colleagues reported in an article in the journal Nature that his group had succeeded in doing 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 sizes of connected organisms. For example, earlier scientists tried to create chimeras of pigs and rats, but the experiment was unsuccessful. Humans, cows and pigs are much more compatible. Izpisua Belmonte's team opted to use a pig to create a chimera with a human, simply because it's cheaper to use the latter than cows.

Hybrids among us

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

Moreover, history already knows cases of chimera people, although society does not call them such, and they themselves may not be aware of this. In 2002, Boston resident Karen Keegan passed genetic test to determine if she could receive a kidney transplant from one of her relatives. The 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 the 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 chimera can also be called a person who has been transplanted with someone else's Bone marrow, for example in the treatment of leukemia. In some cases, in the blood of such a patient, you can find cells with both his original DNA and donor DNA. Another example is the so-called microchimerism. In the body of a pregnant woman, the movement of fetal stem cells carrying its genome can be observed in the organs of the expectant mother - the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, and even the brain. Scientists suggest that this can happen with 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 man and animal. Transplanting tissues 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, up to an increase in the level of consciousness. Scientists are trying to assure society and authorities that such experiments will be tightly controlled by laboratories and used only for good. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has never funded such research, citing it as unethical. But in August 2016, NIH representatives said that they could review the moratorium (the decision has not yet been made).

Unlike the NIH, the US military generously funds such experiments. Daniel Garry, a cardiologist at the University of Minnesota, said his chimera project, which created a pig with a heart from another animal, recently received a $1.4 million grant from the military for experiments to grow a human heart in a pig.

Before proceeding to the discussion of the topic of the article, I want to make small digression which is the human body. This will help to understand how important the work of any link in a complex system is. human body what can happen in case of 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 with a special structure and endowed with specific functions. Within this system, there are several levels of organization. Higher integration is the organismic level. Next in descending order 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 system of organs does not work properly, then the violations concern more lower levels organizations such as tissues and cells.

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

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

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

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

Next level organizations - systemic. Certain anatomically combined organs perform a more complex function. For example, digestive system, consisting of various bodies, ensures the digestion of food entering the body, the absorption of digestion 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 as a well-tuned musical instrument. The coordinated work of all levels is achieved due to the mechanism of self-regulation, i.e. support at a certain level of various biological indicators. At the slightest imbalance in the work 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 (SCs) are non-specialized cells. They are also considered as immature cells. They are found in almost all multicellular organisms, including humans. Cells reproduce themselves by dividing. They are able to transform into specialized cells, i.e. various tissues and organs can form from them.

Most a large number of SC in infants and children, in adolescence, the number of stem cells in the body decreases by 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. An unpleasant conclusion follows from this: the vital activity of many important systems organs is reduced.

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 the study of 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 our century, attempts began to use SC for growing human tissues and organs. I want to talk about the most interesting results in this direction.

Japanese scientists in 2004 managed to grow capillary blood vessels from SC.

The following year, American researchers at Florida State University managed to grow brain cells from SCs. Scientists said that such cells are able to implant in the brain, and they can be used in the treatment of 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. Hörstrap believes that this technique could be used to grow heart valves for an unborn baby who has heart defects. After birth, the baby can be transplanted with new valves grown from amniotic fluid stem cells.

In the same year, American doctors grew a whole 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 that, the finished organ is transplanted to the patient. Such operations are now carried out as usual.

In 2007, at the international medical symposium in Yokohama, a report by Japanese experts from the University of Tokyo on an amazing scientific experiment was presented. 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 start clinical research and further apply this technology in the treatment of eyes.

The Japanese hold the palm in growing a tooth from a single cell. SC was transplanted onto a collagen scaffold and the experiment began. After growing, the tooth looked like a natural one and had all the components, including dentin, vessels, enamel, etc. The tooth was transplanted into a laboratory mouse, and it survived and functioned normally. Japanese scientists see great prospects for using this method in growing a tooth from a single SC, followed by transplanting it into a cell host.

Japanese doctors from the University of Kyoto succeeded in obtaining tissues of the kidneys, adrenal glands and a fragment of the renal tubule from SC.

Every year, millions of people around the world die from diseases of the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, muscular dystrophy etc. Stem cells can help in their treatment. However, there is one moment that can slow down the use of stem cells in medical practice is the absence of an 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 the SC.

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

) the technology is not used in humans, but there are active developments and experiments in this area. According to the director of the Federal Scientific Center for Transplantation and Artificial Organs named after Shumakov, Professor Sergei Gauthier, organ cultivation will become available in 10-15 years.

Situation

The idea of artificial cultivation of human organs has not left scientists for more than half a century, from the moment when people began to transplant donor organs. Even with the possibility of transplanting most organs to patients, the issue of donation is currently very acute. Many patients die without waiting for their organ. artificial cultivation organs can save millions of lives. Some advances in this direction have already been achieved through the methods of regenerative medicine.

Notes

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Growing plants in the absence of microorganisms in the environment surrounding the entire plant or (more often) only its roots (sterility of the whole plant can only be ensured in a closed vessel, where it is difficult to maintain the necessary for ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Growing micro-organisms, animal and plant cells, tissues or organs under artificial conditions... Medical Encyclopedia

Wheat- (Wheat) Wheat is a widespread cereal crop The concept, classification, value and nutritional properties of wheat varieties Content >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> … Encyclopedia of the investor

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 (about 2% of the total Earth area) and ... Encyclopedia of the investor

Books

Diseases of domestic and agricultural birds. In 3 volumes, . The book "Diseases of poultry and farm birds" is a translation of the tenth, supplemented and revised edition of the manual on diseases of birds, in the preparation of which took ...
Diseases of Poultry and Farm Birds (number of volumes: 3), Kalnek B.U.. The book "Diseases of Poultry and Farm Birds" is a translation of the tenth, supplemented and revised edition of the manual on diseases of birds, in the preparation of which took ...