Tissue engineers grow penis in the lab

New Scientist.com ^ | 11 September 02 | Sylvia Pagán Westphal, Boston

[aculeus]

In a remarkable feat of tissue engineering, major parts of the penises of several rabbits have been replaced with segments grown in a lab from their own cells. The animals were able to use the reconstructed organs to mate.

Researchers have grown lengths of the corpus cavernosum in the lab. The next step is to try to recreate the entire organ from scratch. The technique could make it possible to reconstruct the penises of men who have suffered injuries or those of children born with genital abnormalities.

"If you have a child born with ambiguous genitalia, it's a life-changing event," says Anthony Atala of Harvard Medical School, whose team carried out the work.

It could also provide an alternative to the crude methods currently used to enlarge the organ, such as injecting fat cells or cutting the penis's suspensory ligament and "pulling out" more of the internal part. Instead, a patient would have penile cells removed by a doctor and, a few weeks later, the organ or parts of it grown using the cells could be surgically implanted.

More complex

While the particular nature of the research is likely to attract much attention, it is also one of the most impressive attempts at tissue and organ engineering to date. "The penis is more complex than any of the organs we have engineered so far," says Atala, whose team has already created fully functional bladders that may soon be implanted in people.

The penis is more difficult to recreate because it has more functions and, unlike the bladder, is also a solid organ.

It consists of three main cylinders, encased in an outer layer of connective tissue, skin, blood vessels and nerves. The two biggest cylinders, made of spongy material that swells during an erection, are the corpora cavernosa. The third tube encases the urethra.

Of those structures, the corpus cavernosum is the most challenging to replace or reconstruct. It contains specialised muscle and endothelial cells - the cells that line blood vessels - and its structure is hard to mimic. Yet this is the part that Atala has been able to grow.

Half pressure

His team first extracted three-dimensional scaffolds of collagen from the erectile tissue of rabbits. They also took samples of the specialised muscle and endothelial cells from penises of each of the rabbits destined to receive the implants.

These cells were grown separately at first, and then added to the collagen matrix in the appropriate proportions. After a few days more growth, the result resembled real erectile tissue.

Next, Atala removed the corpora cavernosa from almost the entire length of the exterior part of the penises of 18 rabbits, leaving the nerves and urethra intact. He then replaced them with the engineered erectile tissues. Because the tissues were grown from the rabbits' own cells, there was no problem with immune rejection.

Once they had recovered from the surgery, the rabbits attempted to have sex within 30 seconds of being put in a cage with a female. "They were able to copulate, penetrate and produce sperm," Atala told New Scientist.

More detailed studies revealed that the penises generated about half of the normal pressure of an erect penis. "It's analogous to the penis of a 60-year-old man, versus that of a 30-year-old," says Atala. Details of the work will be published in the October issue of The Journal of Urology.

© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

[aculeus]

For you science buffs.

[soozla]

"Yes,..........hello, is this the "Tissue Engineering Dept.?????.............I'd like to place an order, please.........."

[general_re]

This is important information to some people - is there a radical-feminism list we can ping this to?

[fourdeuce82d]

Amazing! Wonderful! Errr...ummm... I mean not for me mind you, of course not...but for "those other guys" who might be in need...

[Wolfie]

Frankenpenis lives! (No nuts, just two bolts)

[null and void]

Might be nice to have a spare...

[Darth Sidious]

"If you have a child born with ambiguous genitalia, it's a life-changing event," says Anthony Atala of Harvard Medical School, whose team carried out the work.

Insert "Michael Jackson joke" here.

[null and void]

Yow!! We have a quote of the day...

[truenospinzone]

What - no pictures? ;>

[galt-jw]

...so hows that rabbit taste?....its got a little wang to it.

[claptrap]

I would imagine that Rosie O'donell must have her order in !

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Mr. Bobbit, Mr. Wayne Bobbit,
Please pick up the white courtesy telephone.

[steve-b]

I thought they did that half a century ago, only it grew six feet tall and escaped.

[jonefab]

Who needs two Bill Clintons?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Brings to mind the song Detachable Penis by King Missile...

for some reason.

[HamiltonJay]

Hey will Ron Jeremy be doing the infomercials for this penis enlargment operation as well?

[verity]

The creation of a 'set of ba***' for elected officials would be far more beneficial.

[Billthedrill]

Rabbits, shmabbits - they do this with an elephant, call me.

[GWfan]

Where's the picture?

[skeeter]

Tissue engineers grow penis in the lab

Whats the big deal? This can happen anywhere.

[Larry Lucido]

Of what possible interest could this be to an Italian? LOL!

[A2J]

Frankenpenis lives! (No nuts, just two bolts)

ROFLMHO!!!!!!!!

Stop it, please, stop it!!

[KarlInOhio]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking of that song.

[Ranger]

Business schools have been creating them for years.

[johnny7]

Must be a spit-full creature! ;^[]

[brewcrew]

Now if they could just help me grow one in my pants.

[MassExodus]

Tissue engineers grow penis in the lab

Mr. Gephardt, call your office ..

[apochromat]

Here I was thinking the guys down at the kleenex plant were staring at the secretary.

[Centurion2000]

Let's see ... who is this going to benefit ?

Bobbit victims are about the only one I can think of.

[Revelation 911]

...so hows that rabbit taste?....its got a little wang to it.


.........to which the chefs assitant says "Ive tasted this before"

[ofMagog]

I try to get some sleep and what happens...

[Yehuda]

"What - no pictures? ;>"

Here is the picture of Harvey:

[LadyX]

Show how resourceful one gets at sea.
After the unfortunate 'piranha incident' last year when Fred fell off the water skis, I fashioned a somewhat adequate 'fix' with good ole Spam, you will recall ~ ~ ~

[Pippin]

I'm ROTFLMHO!!!

[humblegunner]

I'd love to watch these tissue engineers in a social situation...

"So, what do you do for a living?"
"I grow rabbit penises"
"Why???"
"Because I can!"

[aculeus]

At your service...

.

[MadIvan]

Presumably Al Gore will be on the phone to these scientists shortly, asking if they can grow him a new pair of testicles in time for the 2004 campaign.

Regards, Ivan the Cruel

[dalereed]

He'll have to beat Clinton to the phone wanting to know if the replacement will be straight and have questions about the size.

[razorback-bert]

I have had expriences with some women with a green thumb in this area.

[MadIvan]

He'll have to beat Clinton to the phone wanting to know if the replacement will be straight and have questions about the size.

Somehow I doubt Clinton would part with that particular portion of his anatomy. It presently handles all of his thinking, even if it is undersized. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[APBaer]

"Tissue engineers grow penis in the lab"

In the lab?
Mine usually grows at the Nudie Bar.

[Neckbone]

Egads! Isn't that one of the characters from "South Park"?

[LadyX]

""So, what do you do for a living?"
"I grow rabbit penises"
"Why???"
"Because I can!"

Extending that, imagine the responses!!

"Hmmm..well, can you apply that to humans?"
"Need a volunteer for the study? Could use another two inches!"
(shaking voice)"Hi - my name is Janet ----- "

[Neckbone]

His team first extracted three-dimensional scaffolds of collagen from the erectile tissue

Argh! Leave my scaffolds of collagen the hell alone!

[Pippin]

Well, I wonder what they'll grow next?

[dalereed]

"I doubt Clinton would part with that particular portion of his anatomy"

If he consults with them and offers his "fears" they will probably just offer him a couple of ice cream sticks and a handfull of small rubber bands.

[Pippin]

they could tell him to put some ice on it,(giggle!)

[claptrap]

You guys are completely ignoring the benefits this would have for the more butch-females amongst us now instead of contentious relationships with their male counterparts
they would simply visit the doc and wham chick youre a girl with go, just imagine how popular she would be at slumber parties!

[Intimidator]

Cool, I can just order a new John Holmes size penis in a few years. Boy would the wife be surprised when I whip that out. hehehehe

[Billthedrill]

Why is that thing smiling?