For the first time grown artificial limb

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researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital has created an artificial limb rat. The resulting sample responds to external stimuli and is functioning blood vessels. The result looks like an amputated limb a little less than the size of a human finger, although in fact it was created artificially. The next could be experiment involving primate limb.

Around the world, a huge number of lives of persons with disabilities. In the US alone amputee 2 million . Today part of the problem can handle dentures. But they look unnatural and technologically far from what the authors dream cyberpunk works. Another option might be limb transplantation. In this case, a major drawback is the need to use immunodepressants for the rest of life - otherwise the body will reject the alien insert. Have created in the laboratory of the limb is no shortage. The result contains only the recipient cells. Grown certainly can look and function just like the lost, but it does not require immunosuppression.

To grow legs thoracic surgery Harald Ott takes weeks. It meets all of its necessary until it grows in a special incubator. Used Equipment "detsellyulyarizatsiya / retsellyulyarizatsiya» (decel / recel). The method comprises the following steps: the body of a dead donor is cleared of cells from it remains only a dead basis inert collagen and other substances. Then the skeleton of cells inhabited by the right of the tissues of the recipient. The bioreactor is happening fueling and tissue growth. Since the donor cells in the body is not received, it will not be rejected by the recipient's immune system.



That is detsellyulyarizatsiya / retsellyulyarizatsiya - this is not a complete creation from scratch. Previously, this technique has already been used for the cultivation of a varying degrees of success . Unlike foot of relatively simple synthetic bladder and trachea is a wide variety of tissues: the blood vessels, nerves, muscles and bones. Fabrics have different structures and functions.

In this case, the process starts with a dead rat limb. Process detsellyuryazatsii passed as well as in studies with internal organs. In the vascular system dead forelimb was introduced a special solution-cleaner. He removed all cellular material, leaving the vasculature and neural matrix. The process of removing cell debris took a week. The result was a cell-free structure that serves as the basis for a variety of tissues of the extremities.

Then the skeleton was placed in a bioreactor. The collagen artery was connected to an artificial circulation system supplying the limb with nutrients and oxygen. To strengthen the structure of blood vessels for their forthcoming load, they were administered human endothelial cells. Ott structure populated by cells of the recipient rat paw. In the cavity before the former muscle structure introduced myoblasts, the cells that grow in the muscle. Five days later, began to pursue the stimulation of the muscles with electrical pulses. Total growth of blood vessels and muscles took 3 weeks. Ott finished the process of skin grafting.

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B J Jank, Ott Laboratory em>

To test the efficiency of the muscles grown legs, the researchers used electrical pulses. The limb can bend and unbend with a force of 80% on the strength of the muscles of the newborn. Cells were oriented in the correct direction of muscle fibers. Also grown limbs joined the healthy rats under anesthesia. In this case, success has been demonstrated blood flow. Not to carry out checks on the movement of muscles and tissue rejection. There were about 100 detsellyuryazirovano limbs of rats, more than half were retsellyuryazirovany.

Ott says that researchers still a lot of work. The limb is required to provide the bony structures, cartilage, and other cell types. We must make sure that they, too, can be recovered. Then you need to show the development of the nervous system. Results transplant donor hands indicate that the recipient nerves penetrate the new body, gradually allowing you to manage them. It is important to check whether the same thing in the growing limbs.

Also, Ott and his colleagues were able to demonstrate detsellyulyarizatsiyu limbs baboon (pictured below). A team of researchers began to populate the skeleton of the resulting human cells of blood vessels. Next will be entering human myoblasts for growing muscles. But Ott warns that until the first limb for tests on humans will take at least a decade. Perhaps in the distant future, anyone can donate after the death of his arms and legs to grow limbs for people with disabilities.

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B J Jank, Ott Laboratory em>

Steve Badylak University of Pittsburgh spoke about the possible problems that will face the team of Otta. The greatest difficulty may cause the circulation in the blood vessels: the endothelium should not clog the tiny capillaries. Оскар Ashmanov of the Medical University of Vienna said that in such a complex organ as a hand, too many different fabrics and textures, so detsellyulyarizatsiya / retsellyulyarizatsiya not be able to become a real process of growing lost limbs. To hand fulfilled at least some useful function, it must be stimulated by thousands of nerves. Now the problem with the nervous tissue - is an insurmountable barrier, says Ashmanov.

Based on materials New Scientist , Washington Post and news website Massachusetts General Hospital . doi.org/4w7 .

Source: geektimes.ru/post/251630/