Tissue engineering

British scientists have developed a process to grow ears and noses in a laboratory by turning
stem cells from body fat into living cartilage, through tissue engineering

Lifelike ears and noses could be grown in a laboratory and transplanted into humans using a technique developed
by British scientists.
Researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London have become the first to turn
stem cells from body fat in the abdomen of children into living cartilage, through tissue engineering.
This ground-breaking procedure could help young patients who are born with debilitating facial abnormalities,
such as ‘microtia', where the outer ear is underdeveloped, or those who require reconstructive surgery after an
accident.
Experts believe it could ultimately be utilised in many other types of transplant surgery, to help reduce the risk
of the body rejecting a replacement organ.
Currently, when facial features of children with severe birth defects need to be rebuilt, surgeons have to take
cartilage from other parts of the body, such as the ribs, which is an invasive and painful procedure.
Then they fashion the shape of a nose or an ear by hand, before placing this ‘scaffold' under the skin of a
patient.
However, using the new technique, doctors would simply be able to ‘grow' a new ear or nose from scratch that
would ultimately be biologically indistinguishable from the real thing.
To achieve the breakthrough, researchers took stem cells from a child's abdominal fat and then combined them
with a polymer ‘nano- scaffold' - almost a microscopic netting.
They then managed to manipulate this composite in a laboratory so that human cartilage tissue grew into the
tiny holes within the polymer.
The technique could now be used to help treat a number of conditions. For patients with ‘microtia' for example,
the stem cells that make the cartilage tissue could be placed in a mould so that it grew into the shape of an ear.
This new approach could also allow children to have facial reconstructive surgery earlier. At the moment
surgeons have to wait unti the child's ribs have grown enough to provide sufficient cartilage for econstructing
the ear. But Dr Ferretti said: “Our goal is that over time the synthetic component of the grafted ear would
disappear and the grafted tissue will continue to grow with the child.”
For patients like Sam Clompus, 15, of Bristol, who suffers from ‘microtia', it would mean that one simpler
operation could have restored his ear. Sam was born with just a nub where his right outer ear should have been.
“Growing up, at times he was self-conscious,” said mother Sue, 50, a senior lecturer in nursing.
“Lots of people used to stare at him which made him feel uncomfortable. Most of his childhood he had longer
hair to cover it but when he went to secondary school he wanted his hair short so then it was more oticeable.
“His schools have always been supportive, hewas just known as the kid with the funny little ear, and everyone
got on with it.
“When he was younger they offered Sam a prosthetic ear but we thought that was a bit too Frankenstein.
“We had looked at other options over the past few years. At first we were quite reticent because as a family
we believe that you shouldn't change you appearance to fit in with what is considered normal.”
Around 7,000 people are affected by ‘microtia' in Britain but tens of thousands of babies are born with other
kinds of facial abnormalities each year. And it could help people who have suffered accidents or trauma.
Sam's surgery was carried out by Mr Bulstrode at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Sam is ‘delighted' with
his new ear.
But the procedure would be far less invasive using the new technique.
“At the moment it is quite gruelling, particularly where they go in and take out the rib cartilage,” added Sue.
“That is a big operation and he was sore for quite a while after that. So the new stem cells technique would
mean that a fairly large part of the procedure would not be necessary, which would be a good thing.”
Last year scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston proved it was possible to grow a human-like
ear using animal tissue.
Previously the researchers had grown an artificial ear, the size of a baby's, on a mouse.
GENERAL COMPREHENSION
Answer the following questions.
 1. Two types of tissue engineering are described in the text: the old method and the new method. What is
the difference between the two methods?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Which method was used to give Sam a new ear - the old or the new method? How do you know this? Give
two quotations from the text that justify your answer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. For what medical condition is the word 'microtia' used?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Sam Clompus was given a new ear. In the part of the text that describes Sam's family's attitude to the
operation, which word means that they were not eager to have the operation carried out at first?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What phrases in the text do these words refer to?

In the phrase… The word Refers to

1. … Experts believe it….(line 8) “it”
2. … Which is is an invasive…(line 11) “which”
3. … They then managed…(line 17) “they”
4. … so that it …(line 20) “it”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/10670157/Ears-and-noses-could-be-grown-in-lab.html