Create vagina from stem cells

An Italian doctor has successfully ' designed ' the vagina for a woman using this woman's own stem cells. This success is considered a good news for women who do not have a natural vagina.

Vaginal mucosa is created in the laboratory by the patient's own stem cells.(Artwork: iStockphoto)

On May 30, professor Dr. Cinzia Marchese of University Sapienza University in Rome published a study on the creation of vaginal tissue by stem cells in the laboratory for transplantation for women. female without vagina.

Speaking to the press, Professor Marchese, an expert in clinical pathology and biotechnology, said the first surgery for vaginal tissue transplantation was done for a 28-year-old woman in the year. 2006. This woman is grafted into a small piece of the genital mucosa and then, the mucous tissue is formed and develops into a healthy vagina. Mrs. Marchese said: 'She is married and has a normal life.'

The second surgery was done for a 17-year-old girl on May 29, with the first step being using a biopsy method to extract cells from this girl's vagina later on. will form.

Professor Marchese said: 'What we do is take a biopsy of about 0.5 cm from where the vagina will form. Then use a enzyme to resolve this biopsy sample and let the stem cells produce new mucosal tissue '. She said it would take about 15 days to get a layer of tissue thick enough for transplant to patients.

According to the professor, the two women had a congenital syndrome called Mayer-Von Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKHS). This syndrome occurs in newborn girls at a rate of 1 / 4,000 -5,000. When this syndrome occurs, girls who are born will not have a vagina, but still have a uterus, ovary and external genitalia, but cannot be able to have sex and have a baby.

According to Marchese, there are young girls who are too embarrassed to talk about their 'special' status to their parents, but accept 'live the rest of their lives without a sex life. normally, although they are still ordinary women in every other way. '

This success will bring good news to women who do not have vaginal or other sexual problems.(Photo: AP)

Historically, surgeons have resolved this situation by creating a vaginal implant or tissue transplant from the intestine, but the surgery is often highly invasive, prolonged and painful. . Moreover, it may take a long time before a normal vaginal mucosa becomes available.

Women who do not have a vagina, but if they have a healthy ovary, can still have children by artificial insemination, but they must ask another woman to become pregnant and give birth.

Previously, at Harvard Medical School (USA), Professor Marchese worked with Dr. Howard Green to study the use of stem cells to produce transplanted skin for burn patients. She said: 'When I returned to Italy, I adjusted the skin transplant technique to apply it to the creation of vaginal tissue.'

The 47-year-old professor hopes her success will bring good news to women who do not have vaginal or other sexual problems. She also believes that this study will open new breakthroughs in the creation of intestinal, oral and eye tissue with stem cells.

Marchese's research will be published in the journal Human Reproduction of Oxford University in England.

Quang Thinh