Bioengineered Bladders

A team of researchers at Wake Forest University Medical School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina has recently reported success in the growth, implantation, and function of engineered bladders in patients with severe bladder disease. Biopsies from the patients served as the genentic seed, while a scaffold of collagen served to mold the growth of the organ. Tissue from the bladder and the pertinent muscles were used. What distinguishes the results from others is that this is the first organ to be grown (other than portions of skin) and also that the new bladder will not face any immune rejection from the body, as it is that of the body already, having been grown from portions of the same parent tissue. While current results are positive, long term results have yet to be concluded. The team next plans to tackle the heart and the pancreas.


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