Successfully implanted artificial trachea made from stem cells

Scientists have used the patient's own cells to create artificial airways, reducing the risk of the body not accepting the implant.

According to a report published in the Lancet on November 23, 2011, describing this operation, Reykjavik (36 years old, Icelandic) will die because the tumor is as big as a golf ball if he does not have a trachea. new. After 12 hours of surgery, the doctors completely removed the tumor and replaced it with an artificial windpipe.

The transplant was performed in June last at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden and is the world's first case of artificial airway transplant made from stem cells.

Doctors have used three-dimensional techniques to create artificial trachea with special molds implanted with stem cells so that it functions as a natural trachea.

Scientists say the technique is more advanced than other methods because patients use their own stem cells to create airways. Therefore there is no risk of transplant cell transplantation and patients do not have to use immunosuppressive drugs. Another advantage of this technique is that the size and shape of artificial windpipe is perfectly suited to the patient's body.

Study co-author Tomas Gudbjartsson said: 'After 5 months of surgery, Reykjavik patients are recovering very fast and are able to function normally'.

To date, the transplant team also hopes to use this technique to perform a second case surgery in November for a 13-month-old child (South Korea) with throat cancer.

Although this technique is promising, Professor Harald C. Ott from Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) and GS Douglas J. Mathisen from Harvard Medical School (USA) said more research is needed to evaluate Sufficient safety and technical efficiency.