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First lab-grown oesophagus successfully implanted in pigs
Scientists restored swallowing in pigs by implanting lab-grown oesophagi using stem cells on pig scaffolds, with five of eight pigs surviving six months post-transplant.
- On Friday, March 20, 2026, scientists at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London published a study in Nature Biotechnology describing the successful transplantation of lab-grown, functional esophagi into minipigs.
- Researchers developed this method to address long-gap oesophageal atresia , a condition where children are born with an interrupted food pipe; about 10 per cent of affected infants face this severe, life-threatening birth defect.
- Scientists created scaffolds using donor pig tissue, then injected them with recipient stem cells. After two months, the bioengineered grafts developed functional nerves, muscle, and blood vessels, allowing animals to swallow normally.
- Two-Year-Old Casey Mcintyre, born with 11cm of his oesophagus missing, exemplifies the clinical need. Paediatric surgeon Prof Paolo De Coppi hopes to offer this regenerative therapy to children within the next five years.
- Experts caution that grafts are currently implanted at a fixed length, raising questions about whether these bioengineered structures can accommodate a child's somatic growth over time. Further research is needed to validate long-term suitability.
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British scientists restored the function of a pig with a damaged esophagus by transplanting it from another pig. By replacing the cells with stem cells from the recipient pig, while leaving only the supporting tissue, they fundamentally blocked immune rejection. It is expected that pediatric patients who are unable to swallow food properly due to a perforated esophagus from birth can also be treated using the same method.
The researchers used the esophagus of a donor pig, which is very similar to that of a human.
Evening Standard+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
First lab-grown oesophagus offers hope to children born with rare condition
The engineered tissue was implanted into pigs, which were able to swallow and eat normally after six months without the need for immunosuppressants.
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Center
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- 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 30%
C 40%
R 30%
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