The Medical Miracle

Mother-of-two becomes first transplant patient to receive an organ grown to order in a laboratory.

"Now I feel great. I am honoured."

Claudia Castillo is a 30 year old Spanish woman living in Barcelona had such severe infection from tuberculous that the trachea and bronchus (windpipe) to her left lung collapsed. The options were to either remove the lung or give her a transplant. The transplant was decided upon.

A donor trachea was obtained and a research group from the University of Padua washed the organ (with an "enzymatic detergent") to remove all living cells. This left the trachea framework made of collagen.

Scientists at the University of Bristol customized the donor trachea using stem cells obtained from Ms. Castillo's bone marrow to create the cartilage, and from inside her nose to create the inner lining. A bioreactor was used to "seed" the trachea with the new cells. See the complete article at The Independent, it is truly amazing! Click on the link below: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/claudia-castillo-the-pioneers-story-1024577.html

After four days the trachea was transplanted and in ten days the patient went home having had no complications. Because the organ was customized using stem cells from the patient the use of immuno-suppressant drugs were need as is usually the case with organ replacements.

If it were not for the research being done with stem cells this would never have been possible.