Doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have created the world’s first-ever “biolimb” — a functional body part grown from the recipient's living cells. Although the science is decades away from being used on humans, it’s already causing a stir in the medical world, but just how does this achievement compare to recent advancements in prosthetic technologies?
In what may be the first step toward creating real biologically functional limbs for amputees, a team of Massachusetts General Hospital scientists, led by Dr. Harald Ott, were able to use a dead rat's forelimb as the framework to grow a completely new arm. When the new limb was attached to a living rat, it quickly filled with blood and the animal was even able to flex its new paw, New Scientist reported.
The technique used to create the biolimb involves taking an organ from a deceased donor and decellularizing it, or stripping it of all its soft tissue to leave only the “scaffold” of the organ remaining. This is done with the help of specialized detergents. As reported by New Scientist, in the case of the rat limb, this “scaffold” included the collagen structures that make up blood vessels, tendons, muscles, and bones.
After the decellularization, the organ is then recellularized by grafting cells from the recipient into the scaffold. The recellularized limb is then treated with a nourishing substance to promote tissue growth. Afterward, the new limb is ready to be attached to its recipient, and in two to three weeks the blood vessels and muscles have completely rebuilt.
VIDEO: RAT BIOLIMB GROWTH IN LAB
ORGINAL POST: MEDICALDAILY
