This one is really cool. Girl gets a trachea transplant made from artificial materials, and her own adult stem cells:
http://singularityhub.com/2013/05/0...ered-trachea-treated-with-her-own-stem-cells/
They've done Trachea transplants before using cadaver tracheas, and then "stripping" them of cells (making a "scaffold" of sorts) and re-populating with the patient's adult stem cells. But this one is different in that the "scaffold" is fully artificial. They no longer need a donor at all, just time, and the patient's own cells. The rest is manufactured.
No anti-rejection drugs, ever. The biggest technical problem with fetal stem cells IMO, is that the patient is still on anti-rejection drugs forever, just like regular transplants. When using your own cells, no problem.
No donor (somebody else dying) required.
Can make for anybody (no donor match required).
This is really really cool IMO.
http://singularityhub.com/2013/05/0...ered-trachea-treated-with-her-own-stem-cells/
They've done Trachea transplants before using cadaver tracheas, and then "stripping" them of cells (making a "scaffold" of sorts) and re-populating with the patient's adult stem cells. But this one is different in that the "scaffold" is fully artificial. They no longer need a donor at all, just time, and the patient's own cells. The rest is manufactured.
No anti-rejection drugs, ever. The biggest technical problem with fetal stem cells IMO, is that the patient is still on anti-rejection drugs forever, just like regular transplants. When using your own cells, no problem.
No donor (somebody else dying) required.
Can make for anybody (no donor match required).
This is really really cool IMO.