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Artificial Trachea, by Ian Costello: Difference between revisions
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== Tracheal Cancer == | == Tracheal Cancer == | ||
[[ | [[Image:tracheal_tumor.jpg|frame|thumb|right|400px|Tumor blocking air passage in trachea [7].]] | ||
The loss of normal airway function due to a tracheal tumor can quickly become lethal. The tumor may grow uninhibited until it is completely blocking airflow if untreated. Tracheal tumors are very rare. There are about 1,800 cases in the United States each year with about a five percent survival rate. One of the major problems with tracheal cancer is incorrect diagnosis because the symptoms are so similar to other medical conditions like asthma. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and in later stages fatigue and difficulty breathing caused from a partially blocked windpipe. Tracheal tumors are a huge motivation for the development of artificial tracheas due to the fact that other treatments such as stenting and chemotherapy fail after a certain point [4] [5]. | The loss of normal airway function due to a tracheal tumor can quickly become lethal. The tumor may grow uninhibited until it is completely blocking airflow if untreated. Tracheal tumors are very rare. There are about 1,800 cases in the United States each year with about a five percent survival rate. One of the major problems with tracheal cancer is incorrect diagnosis because the symptoms are so similar to other medical conditions like asthma. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and in later stages fatigue and difficulty breathing caused from a partially blocked windpipe. Tracheal tumors are a huge motivation for the development of artificial tracheas due to the fact that other treatments such as stenting and chemotherapy fail after a certain point [4] [5]. | ||
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== Artificial Trachea == | == Artificial Trachea == | ||
[[ | [[Image:400px-procedure_2.png|frame|thumb|left|400px|Before, during, and after artificial trachea incubation [2].]] | ||
The artificial trachea is the largest organ grown completely in the laboratory without the aid of donor tissue. The scaffold for the artificial trachea is made from Poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), a biodegradable plastic commonly found in water bottles. The scaffold is sized according to scans of the patients own trachea so it can be custom fitted. Once the artificial scaffold is made, it is seeded with stem cells in a similar way to the cadaver trachea. The benefit here is that the scaffold does not need to be chemically treated to remove cells as there never were cells on the scaffold. The scaffold is placed in a bioreactor designed by Harvard Bioscience Inc. where the stem cells and certain transcription factors are added. The scaffold incubates for two days and the stem cells attach to the scaffold and begin to differentiate. The artificial trachea is then transplanted into the patient. Some advantages the artificial trachea has over the donor trachea include being able to custom-fit the trachea to the patient, not needing a donor, and zero immunogenicity issues. The procedure costs roughly $450,000 [1] [2] [3]. | The artificial trachea is the largest organ grown completely in the laboratory without the aid of donor tissue. The scaffold for the artificial trachea is made from Poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), a biodegradable plastic commonly found in water bottles. The scaffold is sized according to scans of the patients own trachea so it can be custom fitted. Once the artificial scaffold is made, it is seeded with stem cells in a similar way to the cadaver trachea. The benefit here is that the scaffold does not need to be chemically treated to remove cells as there never were cells on the scaffold. The scaffold is placed in a bioreactor designed by Harvard Bioscience Inc. where the stem cells and certain transcription factors are added. The scaffold incubates for two days and the stem cells attach to the scaffold and begin to differentiate. The artificial trachea is then transplanted into the patient. Some advantages the artificial trachea has over the donor trachea include being able to custom-fit the trachea to the patient, not needing a donor, and zero immunogenicity issues. The procedure costs roughly $450,000 [1] [2] [3]. | ||
