Stem cells breathe life into windpipe
Body parts grown from a patient's own stem cells shouldn't get rejected by the body's immune system. This is often a problem in conventional transplants. Since her operation Claudio Castillo has shown no signs of rejecting the transplanted windpipe.
'This is more than just successful surgery, as this method could be applied to other body parts and potentially treat many serious diseases. However, it will need to be tested on more patients to ensure there are no long-term side effects,' says Alex Seifalian, a stem cell researcher at University College London.
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Claudio Castillo has gone on to make a full recovery.
Image: Bristol University |
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