Friday, June 23, 2017

A Remarkable Example of Engineering of Human Tissue #Science #Medicine

Any discussion regarding the colon will often get people diving overboard from the first word because, I guess, it's simply too revolting to behold.  We will continue nevertheless in part because the research was done in one of my ex-hometowns since it was performed at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.  The driver for the article is the result which is an exceptional marvel to consider.


This confocal microscopic image shows a human colon organoid generated in the laboratory with human pluripotent stem cells. The organoid is shown after it was transplanted into a mouse. The engineered colon secreted proteins found in natural human colon.

Credit: Cincinnati Children's

Take it easy if you're getting skittish since that's as visually graphic as we're going to get and we think it's kind of a cool image.  When it carries the message engineered tissue functions properly when transplanted into it then we're heading up toward medical miracles.


Scientists used human pluripotent stem cells to generate human embryonic colons in a laboratory that function much like natural human tissues when transplanted into mice, according to research published June 22 in Cell Stem Cell.

The study is believed to be the first time human colon organoids have been successfully tissue engineered in this manner, according to researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who led the project.

The technology allows diseases of the colon to be studied in unprecedented detail in a human modeling system. It also comes with the potential to one day generate human gastrointestinal (GI) tract tissues for transplant into patients, according to James Wells, PhD, senior study investigator and director of the Cincinnati Children's Pluripotent Stem Cell Center.

Science Daily:  Lab grown human colons change study of GI disease


There's a great deal of explanation of the process by which the tissue was generated but we will leave that for the interested student.  Likely your biggest concern is whether it works.

To see how human GI tissues perform in a living organism -- and to test their future therapeutic potential -- the research team included collaborators from the Division of Surgery, led by Michael Helmrath, MD, a pediatric surgeon and director of the Surgical Research program.

The tissue-engineered colonic organoids were transplanted into the kidney capsules of immunocompromised mice for six to 10 weeks. During observation and analysis of the now in vivo organoids, study authors looked for signs of posterior region enteroendocrine cells, which make hormones found in naturally developed human colon.

Researchers report that following transplant, the human colonic organoids assumed the form, different structures and molecular and cell properties of the human colon.

- SD

Humans aren't particularly good at regenerating new parts but this medical technology means we, in effect, regenerate a new organ externally and then implant it where, we see from the research, it may well be successful.  We're not going to pander any sci fi on that since doing it would deprive you of considering what that means and it's all good.

We do have a sweet one, tho, since there's no more waiting for an organ transplant when they can make another one in the lab.  Let your mind spin with that gem for a moment and you see from the research it's the direction they go.


There needs to be an editorial for this one since the Rockhouse has thundered periodically about the need for a colonoscopy as recommended by your doctor.  There's no reason to be tittering since the consequence of neglecting that personal responsibility is more hideous than you ever want to know.

Thankfully, I've not been subject to GI disease or at least no worse than a good helping of Skyline Chili could inflict but my experience with others tells me you don't ever want to know.  If they do find something due to the colonoscopy then you bloody well get it out since there's more which comes after.  I've been lucky that way as well but I know how it goes when it escalates.

Typically they may remove some section of the GI tract with the consequence you will be taking care of your daily business with a plastic bag after that and you will be damn glad of it since that means you have a chance to live.

There's way more horror story than that but I'll keep it short.  Some percentage of males regard the colonoscopy as some kind of threat to their masculinity insofar as it will make others think they're gay.

My brothers and sisters as well since you need it too, if you can think of a more dumb ass reason to get dead than that one, I submit you must have been searching for quite a while.

Today's Obnoxious Rockhouse Portmanteau:

Quit yer bitching; have the damn procedure; stay alive.

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