Recent news on the development of artificial organs focused on artificial lungs and livers.
In late April at the 21st annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Brack Hattler, MD, PhD, of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said that a clinical trial of the Hattler respiratory catheter he developed, a device that functions like a temporary set of lungs, is expected to begin in Europe in about a year.
Dr. Hattler said that laboratory and animal studies suggest that it could adequately exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen in patients with compromised lungs, allowing the lungs to rest and heal.
The device is not envisioned for use for prolonged support, such as a bridge to transplant or as a total lung replacement. However, findings from the clinical trial could lead to the development of longer-term devices that could provide long-term support for patients awaiting lung transplantation, said a statement from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
* On May 10, the Calgary Herald reported that a University of Calgary scientist is hoping to grow a liver that will be ready-made for transplantation. Assistant professor Michael Kallos predicted that the artificial liver, which he envisions as functioning outside the body, could be ready in about a decade. To make the artificial liver, he plans to seed plastic or polymer scaffolds with liver stem cells.
For Your Information:
Read the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's statement at www.upmc.edu/NewsBureau/tx/alung.htm.
The Calgary Herald's story is at www.calgaryherald.com/news/stories/010510/5049246.html.
Please be aware that medical advice, diagnoses and physician references cannot be obtained from this site.