It might soon be possible to grow human body parts in a lab, even from older adults’ stem cells.
For the first time ever human cloning has been used to create stem cells for adults in a breakthrough which could lead to tissue and organs being regrown. Scientists have turned the skin cells of a 75-year-ol man into stem cells, which can grow into any type of tissue in the body.
Wellcome Trust-funded stem cell research has produced red blood cells fit for transfusion into humans.
The production of blood on an industrial scale could become a reality once a trial is conducted in which artificial blood made from human stem cells is tested in patients for the first time. It is the latest breakthrough in scientists’ efforts to re-engineer the body, which have already resulted in the likes of 3d-printed bones and bionic limbs.
Blockade of p25 generation in the brain of an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model mitigates amyloid plaque buildup.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s in mice have been reversed by limiting a certain protein in the brain, according to a report by neuroscientists at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.
Continue reading… “Neuroscientists reverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s in mice”
Scientists are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab.
Scientists in a north London hospital are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells.
Continue reading… “UK scientists make custom-made body parts in the lab”
New low-intensity pulsed ultrasound device helps regrow teeth.
Researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada have developed a low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) technology that they hope will ultimately be able to re-grow lost or severely damaged teeth from the root, eliminating the need for pricey prosthetics and painful procedures.
Continue reading… “New technology promises the ability to regrow teeth”
The discovery could lead to developing a drug that can trigger regrowth of damaged nerves.
Spinal cord injuries are currently irreparable. Most people who suffer from such an injury never fully recover, and many end up with partial or even full paralysis. Although we’ve made great strides in understanding how spinal injuries damage nerves and how we might fix the spinal cord in the future, and even how those patients can cope in the meantime, we still don’t know how to repair the nerves themselves when such an injury occurs. However, scientists at Imperial College London have recently discovered a mechanism that allows them to repair, and even regenerate, nerves in the central nervous system after a spinal cord injury.
Continue reading… “Scientists discover mechanism that could regrow damaged nerves”
3D printed skullcap
An anonymous man in the U.S. received what was then the world’s largest 3D-printed skull implant a year ago. That record has just been broken. A 22-year-old Dutch woman has just received a transplant of her entire cranium in an operation that lasted an incredible 23 hours. (Video)
Continue reading… “Surgeons replace woman’s entire cranium with 3D printed skull”
Cefaly
More than 36 million people suffer from consistent migraine pain in the U.S. alone. Migraine pain is intense, debilitating, and recurring. It usually consists of a throbbing pain on one side of the head, and is often accompanied by other symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, dizziness and a sensitivity to sounds and light. There are both prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help, but some migraine sufferers cannot tolerate these medicines, at least without nasty side effects. The FDA now has good news for these people: the agency just approved a new headband-shaped device that uses electrical stimulation to battle migraine pain. (Video)
Continue reading… “Cefaly – an electric headband that zaps migraines away”
Tiny ultrasonic device
The less invasive a surgical procedure is, the better. Less invasive surgeries reduce patient discomfort, foster faster recoveries, and limit the risk of infection. Problem is, you have to get your eyes on a problem to solve it.
Continue reading… “Tiny ultrasonic chip will travel the arteries and heart to image blockages”
Vascularized tissue constructed by printing cell-laden inks in a layered zig-zag pattern.
Harvard researchers say they have created tissue interlaced with blood vessels in what may be a critical breakthrough for creating artificial organs.
Continue reading… “3D printing may finally give artificial organs a blood supply”
Technique lets children avoid inheriting certain diseases – and give them genes from another woman besides mom.
Last week, the U.K. government issued proposed regulations that would allow researchers to try a new and controversial in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure in patients. The technique could allow women who are carriers of mitochondrial disease to have healthy, genetically related children. But it also transfers DNA from one egg or embryo into another, a form of genetic alteration that could be passed on to future generations. Altering the genes of human egg cells or embryos in IVF procedures is now forbidden in the United Kingdom.
Continue reading… “UK government proposes regulations on making ‘three-parent embryos’”
Stretchable electronics make it possible to custom fit pacemakers for each patient.
Scientists have developed an interconnected web of sensors and electrodes that can monitor someone’s heart around the clock, as well as deliver tiny electrical impulses to ensure it keeps beating properly. This even applies to catastrophic events such as a heart attack, which the device can often reverse. Thanks to the use of 3D printing, each device can be custom fitted to an individual patient to ensure the best possible results.
Continue reading… “3D printed bio patch can reverse heart attacks and keep hearts beating”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.