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Dependence on Depends is a sad fact of life for millions, but thanks to tissue engineer Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University, embarrassing bladder woes may be nearing an end. Atala and his colleagues have created bladders from scratch, clearing one of the biggest hurdles in tissue engineering: growing a real human organ in the lab and proving that it works. Researchers seeded a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold with cells from the patient’s own bladder and then transplanted the scaffold into the patient. As the cells matured, the scaffold dissolved, leaving behind a fully functional bladder. This year, Atala made the landmark announcement that none of the seven patients who received the organs four years ago suffered the rejection problems that commonly plague transplant patients. Next he’ll take on more complex organs, like the heart and kidneys. wfirm.org
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