Is it possible to grow new organs?

Embryonic stem cells can become any organ in the body and do so when implanted into a blastocyst. In principle, then embryonic stem cells could be used to replace any organ in the body. For example, fetal kidney tissues grown can generate maturing glomeruli in vitro11 and organs in mature mammals12.

What happens when cancer cells replicate?

If cancer cells start replicating, they don’t behave like normal cells. For example, they don’t know when to stop replicating and when to die. And they don’t always stick together, so they might break away and move through the blood vessels or lymphatic system and start growing somewhere else in the body.

Can we grow human organs?

New tissue engineering process brings laboratory-grown organs one step closer. Researchers have developed a new technique that that could one day enable us to grow fully functional human organs in the laboratory.

Why is it possible for a stem cells to be used to grow damaged body parts?

These are pluripotent (ploo-RIP-uh-tunt) stem cells, meaning they can divide into more stem cells or can become any type of cell in the body. This versatility allows embryonic stem cells to be used to regenerate or repair diseased tissue and organs.

What causes cancer cells to replicate?

Cancer cells have gene mutations that turn the cell from a normal cell into a cancer cell. These gene mutations may be inherited, develop over time as we get older and genes wear out, or develop if we are around something that damages our genes, like cigarette smoke, alcohol or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

What is the connection between cancer and cell replication?

DNA replication errors, especially those occurring at regions that are hard to replicate, called fragile sites, can cause breaks in DNA. This can lead to cancer, primarily by making it more likely that fragments of chromosomes rearrange themselves, activating genes that lead to uncontrollable cell division.

Is it possible to clone organs?

Potentially, it might be possible to clone organs by using SCNT to clone embryos, extracting the stem cells, and stimulating the stem cells to differentiate into the desired organ, but this will require more research.

How have stem cells been used in the past?

Stem cells were first used for bone marrow transplants (BMTs), a proceedure that was introduced as a treatment for cancer and genetic blood disorders in the 1960s. Every year stem cells are presently used in about 60,000 BMT operations worldwide.

What happens when cancer cells start replicating?

If cancer cells start replicating, they don’t behave like normal cells. For example, they don’t know when to stop replicating and when to die. And they don’t always stick together, so they might break away and move through the blood vessels or lymphatic system and start growing somewhere else in the body. This process is called metastasis.

What happens to normal cells when cancer cells grow?

Normal cells obey signals that tell them when they have reached their limit and will cause damage if they grow any further. But something in cancer cells stops the normal signalling system from working. The video shows how cancer cells send messages that tells other cells to grow and divide.

What happens if cancer cells don’t repair damage to their genes?

If cells don’t repair damage to their genes, this leads to more problems. New gene faults, or mutations, can make the cancer cells grow faster, spread to other parts of the body, or become resistant to treatment. Cancer cells can ignore the signals that tell them to self destruct. So they don’t undergo apoptosis when they should.

How do cancer cells ignore signals from other cells?

Cancer cells ignore signals from other cells. Normal cells obey signals that tell them when they have reached their limit and will cause damage if they grow any further. But something in cancer cells stops the normal signalling system from working. The video shows how cancer cells send messages that tells other cells to grow and divide.