Scientists at the University of Tokyo plans to use human stem cells to grow pancreases in pigs for transplantation, Kyodo News reported on Monday.
The first project to grow human organs in animals is expected to be launched in Japan within a year or so, once it clears government and university screening committees, Kyodo News cited Prof. Hiromitsu Nakauchi as saying.
Nakauchi’s team plans to use human introduced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to reproduce pancreases in the experiment.
Like embryonic stem cells, iPS cells can develop into any kind of cells.
Moreover, they can be generated directly from adult cells without the need for embryos and can avoid transplant rejection problems.
According to Kyodo News, the research team will inject human iPS cells into a pig embryo genetically modified so that it lacks the ability to develop a pancreas.
The embryo will then be placed in a surrogate sow’s womb.
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The fetus will be removed…
