Kidneys 'grown in lab'

by yasar malik Scientists claim to have grown kidneys in a laboratory by manipulating stem cells, a major breakthrough which could help tackle the shortage of organs for transplant. A team at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland has actually used stem cells, which are the building blocks of the body, to form the structure of a kidneys. The newly created organs measure half a centimetre in length -- the same size as a kidney in a foetus; and, the team hopes the tiny kidneys will be able to grow to maturity after being transplanted into human bodies, 'The Scotsman' reported. In fact, the kidneys were grown in the lab using a combination of cells from amniotic fluid -- the fluid which surrounds all babies in the womb -- and animal foetal cells. The technique holds out the prospect of doctors being able to collect amniotic fluid at birth to be stored until needed at a later date if a patient develops kidney disease, say the scientists. The patient's own amniotic fluid cells can then be used as the base for creating a new kidney. Using the patient's own cells will also end the problem of rejection that arises when an organ from a deceased donor is used.