of lives Researchers have successfully grown miniature versions of human organs using stem cells, which could potentially have a major impact in improving medical treatments and potentially saving countless lives.

Scientists have successfully grown miniature organs using stem cells from pregnant women, marking a significant development in prenatal medicine.

The research shows that the progress of human growth can now be tracked during the final stages of pregnancy, which opens the opportunity for early detection and treatment of birth defects.

According to the study, intricate cell structures known as organoids have been successfully cultivated and these miniature organs retain the genetic information of the infant.

The use of organoids allows researchers to investigate the functioning of organs in both normal and diseased states.

Currently, there are regulations that limit the collection of fetal samples. As a workaround, scientists have had to exploit a loophole to bypass these restrictions.

In the United Kingdom, it is permissible to do this procedure within 22 weeks after conception, which is the current legal maximum time frame for terminating a pregnancy. However, in places like the United States, collecting samples from the developing fetus is prohibited by law.

So far, organoids have been created using adult stem cells or fetal tissue from terminated pregnancies.

In order to address these challenges, scientists from UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) harvested stem cells from the amniotic fluid, which envelops the fetus in the womb and provides protection during gestation.

Since the child is not physically contacted during the sampling procedure, limitations on sampling can be overcome and the cells retain the same biological data as the child.

The study indicates that these miniature organs will aid in tracking the growth and development of the fetus during the later stages of pregnancy. They can also be used to simulate disease progression and evaluate the efficacy of potential treatments for conditions like congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), which involves a hole in a baby’s diaphragm.

“The tissues in our study, which were produced from cells found in amniotic fluid, share many characteristics with organoids and display similar gene and protein expression,” stated Dr. Mattia Gerli, the lead researcher from UCL Surgery and Interventional Science.

This new opportunity will enable us to examine the progression of development in both healthy and diseased individuals, a feat that was previously unattainable.

“It is captivating to explore uncharted territories in prenatal medicine as our understanding of late-stage human pregnancy is limited.”

The scientists obtained viable cells from 12 pregnancies, which ranged from the 16th week to the 34th week, as a standard diagnostic procedure.

Next, they determined the origin of the stem cells by identifying the specific tissues they originated from.

Cells from the respiratory, renal, and digestive systems were successfully isolated and utilized to cultivate organoids exhibiting functional characteristics of their respective tissues.

The team collaborated with researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium to investigate the growth and development of infants with CDH. CDH is a condition in which a hole in the diaphragm causes displacement of organs such as the intestine and liver into the chest, impeding lung function and hindering normal growth.

Organoids from both treated and untreated infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) were compared to those from healthy infants, in order to investigate the distinct biological features of each group.

The research revealed notable variances in development between normal and CDH organoids prior to treatment.

However, the organoids in the post-treatment group were much closer to healthy ones, providing an estimate of the treatment’s effectiveness at a cellular level.

Professor Paolo de Coppi, of the NIHR, is the main researcher in a study conducted by UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital. He stated that this is the initial instance in which we can evaluate a child’s inborn condition while still in the womb, marking a significant advancement in prenatal medicine.

Typically, diagnosis relies on imaging techniques such as ultrasound and MRI, as well as genetic testing.

When encountering families who have received a prenatal diagnosis, we are unable to provide specific information about the outcome as each case is unique.

“We are not currently able to make this claim, however, researching functional prenatal organoids is a crucial first step towards being able to potentially offer more accurate prognoses and more effective treatments in the future.”

According to the investigators, although they have not yet examined the technique in relation to other disorders, there is a potential for them to investigate its applicability to conditions that impact the lungs, such as cystic fibrosis, as well as to the kidneys and intestines.

Source: independent.co.uk