LONDON — Like something out of a science fiction novel, American doctors have successfully created replacement organs using their patients’ own cells.
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In a small pilot study, published Monday in the Lancet, scientists reported successfully reconstructing urethras in five patients, using their own cells. The organs were made for boys, aged 10 to 14, after they were injured in accidents.
Scientists have successfully engineered more than 30 tissues and organs, including livers and heart valves. With the continuing development of regenerative medicine, doctors will be able to cure, rather then simply treat, many diseases.