Ears that have been created in a laboratory will be given to veterans that have lost their ears. The new ears have been tested and surgically inserted into rats for testing.These ears will be implanted into people that need them, I’m interested in seeing the turn out. Hit the jump
Sundback’s lab thinks it’s found the solution. Using a computer model of a patient’s remaining ear, scientists craft a titanium framework covered in collagen, which is the naturally occurring protein that gives skin elasticity and strength.
They take a snip of cartilage from inside the nose or between the ribs and seed the scaffold with these cells.
This is incubated for about two weeks in a lab dish to grow more cartilage.
When it’s ready to implant, a skin graft is taken from the patient to cover the cartilage and the ear is stitched into place.
Scientists in Sundback’s lab have maintained lab-grown ears on sheep for 20 weeks, proving it can be done successfully and last long-term.
They have also grown anatomically correct human ears from cells.
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