For the first time, scientists have successfully cultured the entire thymus in an animal body, which can produce T cells and is an important part of the immune system. According to foreign media reports, the latest research by Scottish scientists showed for the first time that new functional organs grow entirely in animals. Cells can be transplanted into mice to develop into thymus, which is the main component of the immune system.
Experts pointed out that this research has certain development prospects, but it will take several years to reach the human clinical stage. The thymus is located near the heart and produces T cells, which are part of the immune system and can effectively cure infections. Scientists from the Centre for Regenerative Medicine of the Medical Research Council of the University of Edinburgh were in charge of the research, which started with culturing mouse embryonic cells. T cells are genetically "reprogrammed", transformed into cell types in the thymus, and then mixed with other support cells. After transplanting these cells into mice, they will grow into fully functional thymus.
This is similar to the 2013 study. Scientists successfully cultivated the human brain in the laboratory. This is equivalent to a 9-week-old fetus. The thymus is a very simple organ. In the experiment, the thymus growing in mice was completely normal. Structurally, it contains two main parts, cortex and medulla.
Research team member Dr. Clare Blackburn said: This is a milestone in the development of regenerative medicine and has broad prospects for development. Those who need a bone marrow transplant and children who have no thymic function at birth will benefit. "
A medical method to strengthen the thymus. In addition, in the elderly, the organs shrink and begin to form a weak immune system. However, this research still overcomes some obstacles from animal testing to human clinical treatment. Because the current technology uses embryos, the culture of the regenerated thymus does not match the patient's body tissue. At the same time, the researchers confirmed that these transplanted cells do not form cancer cells during uncontrolled culture.