israeli organ transplant breakthrough

Incredible, a country that some posters like Fallguy and Perrenial accuse of being warmongerers, have the time or inclination to be involved in humanitarian projects such as these.

By the way, these same scientists and doctors are required to perform military duties for one month per year. Does one believe that these same people are interested in dominating another people, that they enjoy standing guard at checkpoints etc etc, or chasing some molotov throwing "CNN innocent looking kid" with the aim of putting a bullet up his arse?.

Their discoveries help mankind and that's what they would prefer do be doing. Wonder iof one day the very knockers of Israel will have any qualms using their technologies to save themselves or their loved ones?

Anyone heard of any recent developments that benefits mankind, coming out of a single Islamic country on this planet?


Organ transplant breakthrough

December 25 2002

Scientists have grown kidneys in mice from stem cells taken from human and pig foetuses. The breakthrough could one day end the need for organ transplants.

The breakthrough suggests that pig stem cells could be used to treat human organ failure, possibly sidestepping ethical problems that have plagued stem cell research around the world.

More than 1500 Australians are awaiting kidney donations for transplants, according to the Red Cross organ donation network.

The scientists, led by Yair Reisner from the Weizmann Institute near Tel Aviv, replaced the mice's immune systems with human immune cells to demonstrate that their technique might also overcome immune rejection problems in humans.

A spokesman for the team said: "The miniature human and pig kidneys were functional, producing urine. In addition, blood supply within the kidney was provided by host blood vessels as opposed to donor blood vessels, greatly lowering the risk of rejection."

The success appears to rest on the precise timing in removing and implanting the stem cells. The cells were taken from the human foetuses at seven to eight weeks and from a pig foetus at four weeks.

If cells are removed earlier, the kidneys grow erratically and include muscle, bone and cartilage cells. If removed later, there is a greater risk of rejection.

When transplanted at the right moment, the human immune cells in the mice did not attack the growing organ.

The study is now in the pre-clinical stage and, if all goes well, might be tested on people within a few years.

Kidneys filter toxins from the blood and excrete them in urine. Each day, the kidneys filter around 200 litres of blood - the entire blood supply about 30 times.

Common causes of kidney failure include diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled high blood pressure, drug abuse, cysts, kidney stones and systemic lupus erythematosus.

The research will be published in the journal Nature Medicine.

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/24/1040511050635.html