The Dawn Of A New Era Of Regenerative Medicine: Tissue Engineering Comes Of Age
The field of regenerative medicine reached a remarkable milestone recently when four women regained full sexual function after the successful implantation of lab-grown vaginas created from their own cells. The women, aged thirteen to eighteen, were born with a rare medical condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) which left them with an abnormal or missing vagina. Each woman underwent a newly engineered procedure that involved taking samples of the patient’s own cells and growing them into tissue. This tissue was then placed on a scaffold that was hand-sewn with collagen-like fibers and uniquely shaped to fit each woman’s vaginal cavity. Once the organ fully matured, it was implanted into a canal in each woman’s pelvis, along with the hand-sewn scaffolding. Within six months, the biodegradable scaffolding dissolved and, in each of the four women, the lab-grown vaginas began functioning like native working organs.
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The Dawn Of A New Era Of Regenerative Medicine: Tissue Engineering Comes Of Age
