Donated but Unused Pancreata for Organ Regeneration
January 19, 2016 | Terry Sharrer
When you read this piece, ask yourself if the new “Star Wars” movie isn’t a little passé, as far as science fiction goes. Here regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are using donated pancreata, which were initially unsuited for organ transplantation, for “recycling” (i.e. washed for decellularization). The cleansed organs were repopulated with cells, and because the donated pancreata still retained numerous growth factors, regeneration proceeded. The same approach is being used for kidney, liver and intestinal tissues. MORE
Image Credit: Commons.wikimedia.org