Lab Tissue Used to Rebuild 7 Bladders

[talksick]

Did everyone see this article? "For the first time, scientists have rebuilt a complex human organ, the bladder, in seven young patients using live tissue grown in the lab". I want a new lab grow bladder. I wonder if this could help us.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_on_he_me/regrown_bladders;_ylt=AkJTgtd4bMOER.5LEbHrPOTVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMD dwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[Kara29]

IC could just attack the new bladder if it's in our whole body. I would want a lot more than 7 of them done and put into IC patients and see how they progress before I went this route. I would be too scared the IC would attack the new bladders.

Kara

[yvette]

This is great news...it sounds like expansion on the 6 bladders grown in 1999 for six beagles...all of which were successful. Albeit it may not fit everyone's IC. But I am quite confident that a great percentage could be helped with a new bladder transplant.

I haven't looked at the article yet (due to slooooooow dialup) but I will take a look later today on a faster network....I'm curious to see if Dr. Atala is still involved with this project as it was his initially, years ago. His office was wonderful when I had called asking about the beagles a couple years ago.

Again I think this is wonderful and encouraging news that bladder research is indeed getting closer, and it may not be for everyone but certainly investigating before poo-pooing it :)

[patricia1]

Okay I am glad I was not seeing things...I saw something similar on the Good Morning America, and I posted another thread about it. The grew a new bladder for a woman with severe incontinence. They took good bladder cells from her and I think stem cells from other adults when the cells fused togehter and started working they transplanted them to her.

Possible hope maybe for IC? I hope so ;)

[creatingkarma]

I also, like Kara, wonder about IC invading the new bladder. Doesn't this happen with neobladders? I would think that it would happen to a transplant bladder also. What would be cool, though, would be if they could inject/instill new bladder lining cells in us. It would probably have to be done every so often, but our bladders could actually have a lining for a while. OK. Who do I have to talk to about getting this done?

[Judith56]

Until they know all the causes for and why IC happens I like Kara and Karma, think it will not benefit us. I do however think it is wonderful for others who it will help. As for IC getting to neo-bladders, if the entire bladder was taken out as well as the urethra that does not usually happne, in fact it is rare. When it does occur it is usually in augmented bladders, those that are made bigger and some of the original bladder still remains.Judith

[Kara29]

Because they never took out my urethra this is the main problem. I know that IC can't attack intestinal tissue so it's not in the Neobladder just the old urethra that had IC tissue in it to begin with. What I fear about these new bladders is the fact that IC could attack them as where in a Neobladder case, it does not get attacked (in my case).

I hope I made some sense.

Kara

[creatingkarma]

I'm sorry if I confused anyone. I meant to say augmented bladder, not neo-bladder.

[ICNDonna]

I'd be willing to be a test case! Even if the IC came back, it would take time, possibly years for it to happen. In the meantime --- a vacation from IC.

The article was in our morning paper and I think it's good news.

:)
Donna

[Oxana]

Donna, you read my mind. :) I just wanted to post the same what you did. :)

[Sarojini]

Anyone interested in being a test case tell me... Tony Atala, one of the scientists involved in this, is now at Wake Foreset U. Medical Center, and that's where I am. In fact, my husband and I are beginning a collaboration with him using MRI to track implanted cells (without the need for biopsy) -- so I may be meeting him in person soon and can plead cases ;)