Can Stem Cells Be Grown Into Organs in the Lab That We Can Transplant Into Humans?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

While significant progress has been made in growing simple organs and organoids from stem cells, the generation of fully functional, complex organs for human transplantation remains a challenging goal. Advances in iPSC technology, interspecies chimeras, and tissue engineering hold promise, but further research and development are needed to overcome the technical and ethical hurdles. The future of lab-grown organs for transplantation looks promising, but it will require continued innovation and societal acceptance.

The potential to grow organs in the lab using stem cells for transplantation into humans is a rapidly advancing field of research. This approach aims to address the critical shortage of donor organs and the complications associated with organ rejection. Various strategies are being explored, including the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), adult stem cells, and interspecies chimeras.

Key Insights

• Stem Cell-Derived Organoids and Simple Organs:
  • Organoids, which are three-dimensional structures grown from stem cells, can mimic the structure and function of real organs. These have been used for disease modeling, drug development, and personalized medicine5 6.
  • Simple organs like bladders and windpipes have been successfully grown in the lab and transplanted into patients, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for less complex organs2.
• Challenges in Growing Complex Organs:
  • Complex organs such as kidneys and livers present significant challenges due to their intricate structures and the need for proper vascularization. Efforts to grow these organs from stem cells have shown promise but are still in early stages4 8 9.
• Interspecies Chimera Formation:
  • One promising strategy involves creating human organs in large animals through interspecies blastocyst complementation. This method uses human pluripotent stem cells injected into animal embryos, which can then develop into human organs within the host animal3.
• iPSC-Derived Organs:
  • iPSCs offer the potential to generate patient-specific organs, reducing the risk of immune rejection. Recent studies have shown the successful creation of vascularized and functional liver buds from iPSCs, which can perform liver-specific functions and integrate with host vasculature1 7.
• Technological and Ethical Considerations:
  • Techniques such as three-dimensional bioprinting and the use of decellularized organ scaffolds are being explored to create the complex structures needed for functional organs. However, these methods face technical challenges and ethical considerations, particularly regarding the use of animal models and genetic modifications4.

Can stem cells be grown into organs in the lab that we can transplant into humans?

Philippa Harding has answered Likely

An expert from University College London in Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Stem Cells

It is likely that this will be possible at some point, but not yet – currently simplified versions of organs, known as “organoids” can be grown in the lab, and are useful for studying development and disease in humans, as well as testing new treatments. However, at the moment, no organ model has been developed which is close enough to the human equivalent for transplant of an entire organ. In particular, blood vessels (vasculature) is particularly difficult for scientists to replicate in the lab.

Can stem cells be grown into organs in the lab that we can transplant into humans?

Szu-Hsien (Sam) Wu has answered Likely

An expert from Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Stem Cells, Genetic Engineering, Microscopy

This is an interesting question – and I answer likely because it will depend on the type of organs.

Many researcher are trying to achieve this goal. Recently (since 2008/2009), 3D organoid cultures that consist of different cell types found in the corresponding organs have been extensively researched (largely to replace animal models, immortalised cell lines, and also to study human organ physiology). A hot topic in the field is to generate macro-scale tissue pieces grown from stem cells/ organoids (but not an entire organ, such as the whole stomach, liver or heart, brain, etc). Some points that need to be considered are viability, functionality and costs. It is also extremely difficult to build something identical to what Nature has built – in terms of patterning in micro-scale and overall size (now it is not yet possible technically!)

What should be considered is that it is possible that some diseases require only a good amount of ‘healthy’ cells to regenerate the organs to be functional again.

Can stem cells be grown into organs in the lab that we can transplant into humans?

Vik Reebye has answered Unlikely

An expert from Imperial College London in Oncology

This is still in the realms of science fiction. Scientifically, we have reached a monumental period. We have unravelled the human genome where we can now spend another century exploring the language of our genes and how they are controlled. We have learnt from bacteria and viruses on how we can copy, edit and paste information in our DNA. We can change a skin cell into a liver cell or a cardiac cell or a nerve cell. 

My personal opinion is that these cells are at the moment synonymous to Lego pieces. We might be able to use these components to build what might appear as a human heart or a human ear on the outside, but underneath it will most likely be a plastic scaffold hold things together to just look good. 

The more realistic answer for this question is aside from bone marrow transplants, lab grown stem cells are more likely to be used to assist with skin grafts or blood cancers rather than replace an entire organ.

Can stem cells be grown into organs in the lab that we can transplant into humans?

Barney Bryson has answered Uncertain

An expert from University College London in Neuroscience

It is likely that this will be possible in the medium-term future but this will very much depend on the type of organ. For relatively simple organs, consisting largely of a single cell type (such as hepatocytes that make up the liver), this should be achievable. For the human nervous system, which constitutes by far the most complex tissue/organ, it may never be practical or feasible to use lab grown organs for replacement therapies but that’s not to say that stem cell therapies will not work in diseases of the nervous system – just not as (partial) organ transplants.

Can stem cells be grown into organs in the lab that we can transplant into humans?

Emily Read has answered Likely

An expert from King’s College London in Immunology, Stem Cells, Biology

Currently, stem cells can be grown in the lab to form model organ systems that are often referred to as organoids. Organoids are mostly 3 dimensional, microscopic and are made up of several different types of cell.

Although organoids are more similar to an organ than other model systems (like cell lines, which are often 2 dimensional and only consist of one cell type), there are some key differences.

Organs are far more complex, being made up of lots of different types of cells (e.g. supporting structural cells, functional cells, immune cells). They are vascularised, innervated, much larger than organoid models and able to perform complex functions.

Many researchers are trying to make organoid cultures more complex and representative of actual organs. In the future, it is possible that entire organs could be grown in the lab from stem cells, however there is further work to be done before this is a reality.