Posted on 11/10/2009 11:24:51 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
Rabbit recipients of artificially grown penises are eager to copulate with female partners
We've seen all sorts of tissue engineering examples -- from bone, to brain tissue, to nerves, to vascular tissue, and even muscles -- but a new study from the Wake Forest University’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine has surpassed all of these in pure strangeness. The study used advanced tissue regrowth techniques to create and endow lab rabbits with fully functional replacement penises.
The research was led by the institute's director, Anthony Atala, M.D., who is most famous for devising a cell seeding technique that involves spraying cells harvested from an applicable tissue onto a collagen matrix, led the research. Under Dr. Atala's scheme the developing tissue is bathed in a nourishing serum than keeps the tissue in a chemical environment similar to the human body, and at a similar temperature to that of the human body. Growth factors and other beneficial compounds are seeded into the tissue beforehand, to encourage the cells to divide and populate the new tissue.
Most cells contain a wealth of information about how to grow and form their local tissue. Once in a receptive scaffold (like the collagen), they're sometimes able to grow and form new tissues, if they're exposed to the proper chemicals and physical conditions. By combining one or more tissue types and encouraging the growth of blood vessels, organs can be formed.
Dr. Atala's team had already regrown and implanted seven human male bladders, a significant success. Ten years later, the patients are still showing good function. However, the penis proved a much more elusive and complex tissue to grow. Growing the outer skin in theory wouldn't be overly challenging, but the inner spongy tissue, called corpus cavernosa, proved to be a much stiffer challenge due to the complex mix of cell types needed.
Past artificial penises grown at Wake Forest were taken off the drawing board after failing to stay erect when implanted into rabbits with a piece of their spongy tissue removed. After close to 18 years of failed attempts, the researchers tried a different angle, removing the entire spongy tissue (not just a segment) and using different growth factors on a complex mix of cells, including smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells -- the cells needed to form the arteries needed to bring blood to the penis's spongy tissues, allowing it to become erect.
The result was a resounding success. Writes the research team in their paper on the accomplishment, "This technology has considerable potential for patients requiring penile construction."
The resulting penises were identical to their natural kin in response to electrical and chemical stimuli. And the recipient rabbits proved eager to copulate, with eight of the 12 rabbits with implants achieving ejaculation and four becoming fathers. While rabbits normally like to procreate over the long term, the recipients proved unusually randy, attempting to procreate much faster than normal male rabbits.
Describes the team, "Most control rabbits did not attempt copulation after introduction to their female partners. All rabbits with bioengineered neocorpora attempted copulation within one minute of introduction."
The study was reportedly published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday, though a quick glance at the November 9 early edition did not show the study.
The research proves eerily similar to the frequently on-point animated show South Park's episode "Eek a Penis", which aired last year and involved the character Mr./Mrs. Garrison having his/her penis regrown on a lab rat. Despite the success, though, such more advanced sex change operations remain out of reach, as scientists have yet to engineer functional testicles from body tissues. Still, for some with damaged penis tissue, this study may provide new hope.
The research team next plans to start trying to implant regrown human penis tissue. States Dr. Atala, "We're going to be doing that experimentally at our center."
No wait. Bad choice of words....
Nut Pulled yet, OoPs did I say pulled
Too dangerous to experiment with elephants I suppose????
i wonder how much of the stimulas money went for this one...ahh damn...i said stimulas....this should be a good thread...
What about Hare research?.........................I need hare!...........
***The research team next plans to start trying to implant regrown human penis tissue. States Dr. Atala***
Is this satire: ala Dr. Atalawacker??
I wonder where they’ll be running the human testes?
(Am I the only on ewho misread the headline?)
Sounds like a very bad lab in which to be a male lagomorph.
Chaz’ (Cher’s daughter-turned-son) pager is beebing and may soon be stuned....
After he’s injured in an accident, Edwin (Hywel Bennett) becomes the recipient of the world’s first penis transplant in this raunchy 1971 British comedy. But he begins to question his identity as he wonders about the previous escapades of his new body part. Setting out to discover who donated “Percy,” Edwin soon has some interesting encounters with the deceased man’s wife and many lovers. Denholm Elliott, Elke Sommer and Britt Ekland co-star.
This is just going to lead to Artificial Penis Envy!!!
Will it work on blue dogs?
Double-header?
I predicted several years ago that in not too many years, any circumsized men who like to have a foreskin again would be able to get replacements grown from their own tissue. I expect they’ll be available within five years now.
I read this with a light heart and then thought of you three for some bizarre reason.
(Joke material detected, full speed ahead!)
LOL! I can't see Marcus Brody doing this!
I really find that part hard to believe.
S & A: Artifical Penis Ping.
Martin: Artificial - Not Mangled - Genitals Ping.
Laz: Well, you know - gotta invite the Laz.
one wonders if this will be covered under obama’s new healthcare plan....
“Most control rabbits did not attempt copulation after introduction to their female partners***
That is so queer! I raised rabbits years ago and when I put a bucks in the cage with the does they went it immediatly!
They were hillarious to watch as the buck would mount, hump so hard they would flip over backwards! then when they were done the buck would fall on his side, lay there and just quiver.
Gibbs, be afraid...very afraid!
This can also help women who have lost major parts of their external genitals due to the barbaric practice called “Female Circumcision” or Female Genital Mutilation.
In it they remove the female’s analogue of the penis, robbing her of a lot of pleasure from coitus. I could image they could regrow for those who have been brutalized by this largely Islamic practice.
“Laz: Well, you know - gotta invite the Laz.”
That’s a given, and you dropped teh ball on that in teh first few pposts.
Bad R2, spinning beeber attack for your punishment.
Yes, but Snap-On Tools has the patent.
The author has a sense of humor apparently....
________________________________
Not as much as the sly dog who came up with PNAS as an acronym:
“Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)”
Detachable or not, you can’t BEAT this new find!
Stay AWAY from my bedroom window.
Strap ons aren’t good enough anymore, eh?
That’s almost like the guy who had his eyelids burned off in a fire—a revolutionary procedure allowed surgeons to fashion replcement eyelids from his foreskin.
He’s doing fine now—just a little cockeyed......
Artificial penises will promise anything, any time!
Yes, but only for Lesbians.
LOL!!
Yep, this is pretty phenomenal. They'll eventually be able to regrow most any body part. And, if they think there are decisions to be made about what medical care should be available to whom, today is nothing like what it will be in not too many years. The new, expensive therapies will dwarf what is available today. But who will be able to receive the new treatments if Obamacare passes?
And, also, Obamacare would gradually take the financial incentive away, and eventually end most such innovation.
Plenty of artificial penis bearers already in Congress and Senate-—or rather they are dicksfunctional and useless so nevermind.
That’s so flamin’ Gay.
They need Neuticles
LOL! You would be surprised how many books and movie posters have not so subtle illustrations of sex organs on them, tht is till you look closer.
I still have the original cover for the Little Mermaid tape.
Geeze, I am crying laughing here.
I will bet you John Bobbit will be the first on line for this..um..after slick willie.
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