New Atlas

Biology Audio available

How food dye may have unlocked 3D printable organs for transplant

Michael Irving May 5, 2019

3D printing organs is going through some teething issues. Now researchers have found a surprisingly simple answer to the complex problem of printing detailed vascular networks, and shown it off with a dramatic model of a breathing lung that passes oxygen into surrounding blood vessels.

A new bioprinted lung model demonstrates an intricate 3D-printed vascular network

Drones Audio available

Drone-delivered kidney gets transplanted into patient

Ben Coxworth May 1, 2019

Using regular aircraft to transport organs usually works OK, but problems can arise when flights are delayed, or when planes can't land in remote areas. That's where drones could make a difference – and in an April 19th exercise, one was used to deliver a kidney for a human recipient.

The HOMAL-equipped multicopter comes in for a landing at the University of Maryland Medical Center

Medical Audio available

New process uses two kinds of light to make organs safer for transplant

Ben Coxworth April 12, 2019

It goes without saying that the greater the number of organs available for transplant, the better for patients in need of them. A newly-developed technique could help, as it uses light to kill viruses and bacteria that might otherwise make donated organs unsuitable for use.

The technology has so far been utilized on lungs, but is being adapted for use on ...

Science

Landmark research creates “universal” stem cells using CRISPR gene editing

Rich Haridy February 18, 2019

In an incredible milestone, scientists have for the first time created “universal” stem cells by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce pluripotent stem cells that can be transplanted into any patient without generating an immune system response.

Human heart muscle cells derived from the new CRISPR-engineered "universal" stem cells

Medical Audio available

Major Chinese organ transplant ethical breaches prompt calls for mass retraction of scientific papers

Rich Haridy February 5, 2019

A confronting new study has revealed over 400 published research papers may be in violation of international ethical standards regarding the use of donor organs sourced from executed prisoners. The study calls for a mass retraction of hundreds of research papers from mainland China.

Over 400 published papers are under fire for potentially using organs sourced from executed prisoners in ...

Medical Audio available

Successful transplantation of pig hearts into baboons bring human trials a step closer

Rich Haridy December 5, 2018

A new study has reported the first successful long-term survival of baboons transplanted with genetically modified pig hearts. The research is a leap forward in the quest to achieve cross-species organ transplantation, and gives hope to the many humans on waiting lists for donor organs.

One of the surgeons working on the new research suggests we could be as little as ...

Medical Audio available

First baby born from the uterus of a deceased donor

Michael Irving December 4, 2018

Uterus donors are so far limited to willing volunteers, which has made the procedure possible in only a handful of cases. Now, scientists have reported the first successful birth of a child after a uterus transplant from a deceased donor.

Researchers have reported the first successful birth after a mother received a uterus transplant from a ...

Science

Fecal transplants help restore gut microbiome in cancer patients

Rich Haridy September 27, 2018

A recent clinical trial has found fecal microbiota transplantation can effectively restore patient’s gut microbiome after major antibiotic treatments. The study examined a group of cancer patients revealing how fecal transplants can quickly restore a compromised microbiome within days of treatment.

Fecal transplants may help cancer patients better deal with the harsh, gut bacteria-destroying effects of antibiotic ...

Medical

Bioengineered lungs successfully transplanted into pigs

Michael Irving August 2, 2018

What if doctors could grow new organs for transplant on demand from a patient’s own cells? In a major step towards this future, scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) have now transplanted bioengineered lungs into pigs, with no complications arising from the procedure.

Medical

Getting a "fat transplant" turns the bad fat good

Michael Irving August 1, 2018

Converting bad fat to good could help us lose weight and avoid obesity-related illness. Now researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a transplant method, where white fat is removed from the body, cultivated in a lab for a few weeks, then reinserted into the body as brown fat.

Columbia researchers have developed a transplant method that turns bad fat into good fat