Vaginas grown in labs successfully implanted into girls with rare disorder

Scientists have successfully implanted vaginas grown in laboratories into four teenage girls who have a congenital condition which meant their own did not develop properly.

The artificial vaginas, engineered from the patient's own cells and individually made to fit them, allowed the women to later have full sex lives. As well as being a breakthrough in vaginal reconstruction, the US and Mexican scientists responsible for the procedures said it potentially meant other tissues or organs could be laboratory grown and implanted.

"This pilot study is the first to demonstrate that vaginal organs can be constructed in the lab and used successfully in humans," said lead researcher Dr Anthony Atala from Wake Forest Baptist medical centre in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

[link to www.theguardian.com]




Remarkable science!