Bristol lab helped grow Claudia's new windpipe

Thursday November 20th, 2008

British scientists have been talking about their part in creating the first transplant organ created from a patient's own cells.

A young Colombian mother Claudia Lorena Castillo Sánchez was the recipient of the laboratory-created windpipe after a severe TB infection destroyed her own organ.

Her bone marrow was shipped to Bristol University, UK, where Professor Martin Birchall's team used techniques they have developed to turn it into cartilage cells.

The international operation led to the cartilage being flown to Milan where it was used to recreate a windpipe from an organ donor.

The aim of the procedure was to remove all the donor's original cells, replacing them with Mrs Castillo's and limiting the risk of rejection. It also avoided the need for a fully-fledged lung transplant.

The mother of two had her operation in Barcelona, Spain, in June.

Professor Birchall said: "We believe this success has proved that we are on the verge of a new age in surgical care.

"Surgeons can now start to see and understand the very real potential for adult stem cells and tissue engineering to radically improve their ability to treat patients with serious diseases."

Mrs Castillo is said to have recovered well from the procedure - and even goes out dancing some nights.

She said: "I was scared at the beginning because I was the first patient but had confidence and trusted the doctors. I am now enjoying life and am very happy that my illness has been cured."

Surgeon Professor Paolo Macchiarini, who reported the operation in The Lancet, said: "We are terribly excited by these results. Just four days after transplantation the graft was almost indistinguishable from adjacent normal bronchi."

Tags: Europe | Internal Medicine | Transplant | UK News | World Health

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