Lab-Grown Lungs Transplanted into Living Animals
Katie Cordrey — June 28, 2010 — Lifestyle
References: nature & technologyreview
Medical researchers at Yale have produced lab-grown lungs and implanted them into a living rat. The bioengineered lung functioned for two hours just as normal lung would.
The scientists are hopeful that lab-grown lungs and other organs can be created using a technique of decellularized scaffolds. The scaffolds are organs taken from cadavers then treated to remove tissue cells. Stem cells are then programmed to rebuild the organ. The method has been used to grow hearts, livers, and now, lungs. While still experimental, lab-grown lungs may become mainstream over the next two decades.
The scientists are hopeful that lab-grown lungs and other organs can be created using a technique of decellularized scaffolds. The scaffolds are organs taken from cadavers then treated to remove tissue cells. Stem cells are then programmed to rebuild the organ. The method has been used to grow hearts, livers, and now, lungs. While still experimental, lab-grown lungs may become mainstream over the next two decades.
Trend Themes
1. Lab-grown Organs - The development of lab-grown organs using decellularized scaffolds presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the medical industry.
2. Stem Cell Technology - Advancements in stem cell programming offer potential for disruptive innovation in organ regeneration and transplantation.
3. Bioengineering - The field of bioengineering is poised for disruptive innovation with the growth of lab-grown organs and tissue engineering.
Industry Implications
1. Medical - The medical industry has the potential to be disrupted through the adoption of lab-grown organs and advancements in bioengineering.
2. Biotechnology - Biotechnology companies can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by leveraging stem cell technology for organ generation and transplantation.
3. Pharmaceutical - The pharmaceutical industry can benefit from disruptive innovation by investing in research and development of therapies and drugs related to lab-grown organs.
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