Tag Archives: Organ transplant

This machine keeps transplant livers alive for a week

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With current technology, a human liver donated for transplant can only be kept alive for 24 hours, and often, if the liver is damaged or diseased, it cannot be considered for transplant. That could soon change. Liver4Life, a Wyss Institute project, h...

“Organ supercooling”, the super cool technique that will save lives

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Organ Supercooling

Lots people who need an organ transplant will die before ever getting to the surgery room, but soon that may become a thing of the past.

Organ supercooling is the name of a new medical technique developed at Harvard meant to “supercool” the organ and making it last longer. The technique also pumps the targeted organ with oxygen and nutrients, which in the end makes it last up to three times as long, potentially saving the patients some time and their lives in the process.

We consider organs to be viable for only 24 hours after leaving a body, but after experimenting with supercooling on animal organs, researchers considered them to last 72 hours instead. That’s a lot of extra time, especially when a life depends on it.

These news come straight from Natural Medicine. Researchers claim that, while the lead is very promising, we’re gonna have to wait a bit before they conduct the extra tests on humans and decide if this is viable for us too.

Source: The Mary Sue

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Scientists 3D-print embryonic stem cells, pave the way for lab-made organ transplants

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3D printers already have a firm footing the commercial market, with more than 20 models available for well-heeled DIYers, and the technology's appeal isn't lost on the scientific community. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland has developed a method for 3D-printing clusters of human embryonic stem cells in a variety of sizes. Researchers have successfully printed 3D cells before, but this is the first time that embryonic cell cultures, which are especially delicate, have been built in three dimensions. Human embryonic stem cells can replicate almost any type of tissue in the human body -- and the scientists at Heriot-Watt believe that lab-made versions could one day be used to make organ transplants, thereby rendering donors unnecessary. In the nearer future, 3D-printed stem cells could be used to make human tissue models for drug testing; effectively eliminating the need for animal testing. Makes that Burritob0t look a little less ambitious, doesn't it?

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Via: Inhabitat, BBC

Source: Heriot-Watt University

Regenerative medicine pioneer continues changing lives with first successful laryngotracheal implants

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Regenerative medicine pioneer continues changing lives with first successful laryngotracheal implants

Dr. Paolo Macchiarini is no stranger to world firsts, and less than a year after performing a synthetic windpipe transplant, the Karolinska Institute Professor has coordinated no less than two successful transplants of synthetic sections of larynx. Amazingly, both patients were able to breathe and talk normally straight after surgery, the basic functions we take for granted that they either struggled with or were simply unable to do before. The implants consisted of personally designed synthetic scaffolds coated with the candidates' own stem cells, so there's neither the chance of rejection nor the burden of life-long immunosuppressant therapy. Despite the amazing feat, Dr. Macchiarini ain't done yet, claiming this is the first of many steps towards building a synthetic, complete larynx -- voice box and all. Jump past the break for the official PR issued by Harvard Bioscience, the company responsible for growing what's in that tub.

Continue reading Regenerative medicine pioneer continues changing lives with first successful laryngotracheal implants

Regenerative medicine pioneer continues changing lives with first successful laryngotracheal implants originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook Organ Donation Tool Greatly Increases Donor Registration

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Yesterday Facebook rolled out a new tool for members to use that allows them to know if they are organ donors. This tool was being teased with the exclusive from ABC News. People on organ donor lists...