Development of Intestines Using Stem Cells

Scientists hope to develop technology to treat humans.

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American researchers have successfully developed human intestines in the laboratory using stem cells and successfully implanted them into mice, paving the way for new treatment of bowel promlems and gastrointestinal disorders.

The research was carried out by scientists at the Harvard Medical School and published in Nature Communications scientific journal.

The researchers were able to form the new intestine in the laboratory, and used two parts to complete the process, the intestinal cells and the structure in which they grow, to maintain the shape of the intestines.

The team took part of the intestines of mice measuring 1.6 inches (4 cm), then used a disinfectant solution to separate the cells from the intestines and maintain the structure. They repeated the process on 156 mice.

The researchers then encapsulated the bowel structure with two types of human stem cells that would grow and make the bowel more effective.

The researchers found that the new intestine began to function in the same way as the original intestine, to absorb and transport nutrients, but this method is still in the early stages.

Research team leader Dr. Harald Ott said that the next steps will be to expand those cells to fit human size, so that they can provide a more convenient alternative to small intestine implantation for patients with bowel disorders.

“The team needs to know how long the new intestines can work, and there will be challenges to replicating innovative technology with large animals before we experiment with humans,” he said.

The idea of stem cell therapy is that it can turn into any of the body’s various cells. It works, for example, by injecting it into the brain, in which the cells have begun to die, so that they can grow and replace them.

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