Intestines from stem cells

Working intestinal tissue was grown from human stem cells

Medical news based on the materials of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center:
Lab-developed intestinal organoids form mature human tissue in mice

American scientists have successfully transplanted into mice the so-called "organoids" of functioning intestinal tissue obtained in the laboratory from human pluripotent stem cells. The results of the study, published yesterday in the journal Nature Medicine (Watson et al., An in vivo model of human small intestine using pluripotent stem cells), can help in the study of intestinal diseases and in the creation of bioengineering technology that would allow individual treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

A research team from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio reprogrammed adult human cells derived from skin and blood into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and then affected them with specific factors so that they were transformed into intestinal tissue culture. After that, they were transferred to the body of immunodeficient mice, which provided the cells with the necessary blood supply, which allowed the formed cells to safely develop fully functioning human intestinal tissue.

"The resulting intestinal mucosa cells contain various adult (differentiated) cells and are constantly being updated due to the division of intestinal stem cells," said lead researcher Michael Helmrath. "In addition, such tissue has absorbent and digestive abilities that are not observed in laboratory culture."

Intestinal villi grown from human stem cells
successfully perform their functions in the mouse body.
A snapshot from an article in Nature Medicine.

The new data may give hope for treatment to people with genetic defects affecting the digestive system, and patients who have impaired normal bowel function due to cancer, Crohn's disease and other diseases associated with intestinal inflammation.

According to the researchers, one of the advantages of using tissue obtained from IPSC is the low risk of transplant rejection and the absence of the need to take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of your life. Nevertheless, years of further research are still needed before the developed bioengineering technology can be introduced into medical practice.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.10.2014