"The ability to generate an oesophagus with the necessary components that also functions normally is impressive. The grafts developed some scar tissue - which causes issues with swallowing - but this reduced over time, which is also promising."
"To grow oesophagi in the lab, De Coppi and his colleagues started with small samples of muscle cells and connective tissue from the recipient pigs and used them to make two kinds of stem cell, which can be turned into other types of cell."
Scientists have bioengineered oesophagi using stem cells, successfully implanting them into pigs. This restoration of swallowing ability opens avenues for treating human conditions like cancer. Paolo De Coppi's team focuses on minimally invasive treatments for long-gap oesophageal atresia in children. Previous experiments involved growing mouse cells on rat oesophagi and transplanting pig scaffolds into rabbits. The latest work, published in Nature Biotechnology, shows promising results in pigs, which are better models for humans. The grafts developed some scar tissue, but this improved over time, indicating potential for future applications.
Read at Nature
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