How scientists are growing lungs

For a few years we have heard about how scientists are growing multiple organs. If you have a lung disease, you may be able to have a new lung that is genetically grown in a laboratory. Hundreds of people die each year because they are waiting for lung transplants. Don't let this become you and learn about how scientists are growing lungs so you can have a healthy lung transplant in just a few weeks instead of waiting on the lung transplant list for years.

So far the lung transplant has been done on rats and studies are showing that it is effective. The studies have been successful as the transplants have been able to function as healthy as a regular organ, allowing it oxygenate blood at about 95 percent of the normal capacity of a healthy and functioning organ.

Researchers are working hard to grow the size of the lungs and to try successful human transplants. While this is something that is far off into the future at the moment, it is something to look forward to and to start getting excited about. The problem researchers are facing is how the human body tends to reject new cells and it may not accept the new lung as its own. This has lead scientists to focus on other ways to get the cells to integrate with the lung, to essentially grow the lung using your stem cells.

A lot of people are discrediting the research and testing saying that it will not work because the cells will be unable to fuse as the body will reject it. Scientists are not wasting millions of dollars just to play around with rats, they have made significant advancements with lung growth.

In order for lung transplants to even work the donor tissue has to match closely to your own tissue, which is why the scientists are focusing on stem cells to help grow lungs. Bodies have to accept a transplanted lung as its own. So what does a lung transplant surgery entail exactly? The procedure for a single lung will be about 8 hours or less on the operating table. Then it's a few days in the hospital to make sure the body is accepting the transplanted lung. A double lung transplant surgery will last up to 12 hours or longer.

Before a lung transplant can be done there are several tests you must undergo in order to see that you are a good candidate. This is where researchers are spending their time as most of the transplant specifications focus on your blood type and tissue type to match you with a donor lung.

Anyone that is on the list for a lung transplant will have multiple tests done on their lungs along with testing on the heart and body to ensure you will be a good candidate for surgery and for the transplant to work correctly. Several tests are run on the heart in order to check for any heart concerns and ensure that the patient will not go into cardiac arrest. In some instances a patient will need a heart transplant in addition to a lung transplant.

Right now the waiting list for lung transplants is about 2-3 years and this is only if you are considered a good candidate for transplant surgery. It depends on your condition along with the likelihood that you will survive for many years after the surgery. Unfortunately over 200 people die each year as they are on the waiting list for lung transplants. This is why researchers are working to develop lungs for humans to shorten this wait time but to also provide everyone with a chance to have a transplant.