Succeeded in self-regenerating organs for the first time in the world

It has the potential to grow into various cells by dividing and differentiatingStem cellsIn the course of research to create artificial organs from art, the UK research team succeeded in making the organ self-regenerate to function normally for the first time in the world.

An organized and functional thymus generated from FOXN 1-reprogrammed fibroblasts: Nature Cell Biology: Nature Publishing Group
http://www.nature.com/ncb/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ncb3023.html

BBC News - Whole organ 'grown' in world first
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28887087

The world's first organ regeneration succeeded in the UKUniversity of EdinburghThis research team, this achievementNature Cell BiologyIt is announced in.

University of EdinburghMedical Research Council centerDr. Claire Blackburn's research team genetically modifies mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF cells) to express the FOXN1 protein and have immune actionThymusWe succeeded in regenerating the weakened thymus by introducing it into the stem cell-like tissue of the lymphoid organ. This regenerated thymusT cellsIt produced and worked perfectly as a normal organ.


Austrian research team has used ES cells and skin cellsSuccessfully growing and growing human brain cellsAlthough it was successful to artificially make cells of an organ from stem cells, such as doing, it was not able to make an organ function normally. For this reason, the thymus produced by the research team at Edinburgh University this time is the world's first "artificial organ" to function normally.


Dr. Blackburn, who succeeded in self-regenerating organs for the first time in the world, said, "It is enormously exciting," he said.

Although it can be said that the thymus has a relatively simple structure in organs, in order to use this regeneration technique in other organs and the human body, it prevents cellularization by controlling the cell proliferation process It is said that it takes time because the development of mechanism etc. is necessary. However, if artificially regenerating thymus with diminished function, it can overcome the symptom that the thymus shrinks with the aging and the immune function decreases, or the child born without functioning thymus does not do bone marrow transplant Very great expectations are received.

Dr. Blackburn said about this achievement, "It is a very exciting progress and there is a possibility that it can be applied to a wide field of regenerative medicine"Regenerative medicineWe are expecting further progress of our company.