Stem Cell Research Artificial noses and ears

Stem Cell Research: Artificial nose and ears bred

04/10/2014

In the United Kingdom, researchers have succeeded in breeding artificial noses and ears from stem cells in the laboratory. The production is still extremely expensive, but in the future, such artificial body parts could be mass-produced for people.

Growing your nose and ears is like baking a cake
In London, British researchers have managed to breed artificial noses and ears in the laboratory. Professor Alexander Seifalian first needs salt, sugar and a form for a new nose. „That's like baking cake“ says the researcher from University College in London. „We just need a different kind of oven.“ With his staff, the scientist at the Royal Free Hospital uses stem cells to grow artificial body parts such as noses, ears or blood vessels. In the London Clinic, the specialists in the development of human replacement organs are particularly wide.

World's first nose partially created from stem cells
So far, only a handful of people have received artificial body parts, such as tear ducts, blood vessels or trachea, from the British laboratories. But now the researchers hope that they will soon be able to transplant the world's first partially created from stem cells nose. She is to receive a Briton who has lost his own because of a cancer. In his laboratory, Professor Seifalian showed the machine to the public, which produces basic shapes for the individual parts of the body. To replicate the structure of a nose, a solution of water and sugar comes into a nose shape. This creates a kind of scaffold, which is then coated with stem cells that have been grown from the adipose tissue of the patient. Following this procedure, the scientists also created the new nose for the cancer patient last year. They had him implanted in the arm for the time being, so that skin grows over it.

Lack of donor organs
Other organs made with stem cells have been implanted before. In 2011, surgeons at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm succeeded in using a 36-year-old Eritrean to create a new trachea, which had been created using the body's own stem cells. The man had suffered from a severe and rare form of tracheal cancer. Especially in this area there is an acute lack of donor organs. The use of endogenous stem cells has the advantage that the new organ is usually not rejected by the immune system.

Economically interesting developments
Economically, the developments seem to be extremely interesting. London Mayor Boris Johnson has been promoting Seifalian research for investors in the UK healthcare industry. The professor himself estimates that his work since 2005 has cost about ten million pounds (about 12.1 million euros). However, he hopes that an artificial body part in the future will cost only a few hundred pounds. A patent is already pending for the polymeric material from which the organ scaffolds are made. And also for his artificial blood vessels, tear ducts and trachea applications run.

Ears are harder to make than noses
The researchers are now working on other artificial body parts such as coronary vessels. In addition, the first lab ears in India and London will be tested later this year. „Ears are harder to make than noses“, so plastic surgeon Michelle Griffin. „All contours have to be right, and the skin is pulled taut so that they see the entire structure.“ The scientist has already bred dozens of ears and noses in Seifalian's laboratory. Current methods, such as for children who are born without ears, are associated with elaborate operations for which, among other things, cartilage would have to be carved out of the ribs. On the other hand, it would be much easier to remove fat cells from the patient and bring them together with a laboratory scaffold from the laboratory.

Produce noses in bulk like in a factory
Other researchers are also inspired by the work of Seifalian. „Scientists need to master things like noses and ears before they can move on to kidneys, lungs or livers, which are much more complicated“, says stem cell expert Eileen Gentleman from London's King's College. It has been shown that an absolutely perfect tissue may not be so important to a laboratory organ. Rather, the structure is crucial for the functionality. After implanting the artificial nose on the patient's forearm, Seifalian now waits for the authorities to allow the laboratory nose to be sown in the center of his face. „If people were not so choosy, we could make noses of different sizes“, The surgeon can then choose the size and cut for the patients. Seifalian looks to the future: „People think their nose is very individual and personal. But it's something that we can mass-produce like a factory one day.“ (Sb)