Lab-grown oesophagus restores swallowing in pigs

Scientists at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London have created the first laboratory-grown oesophagus shown to replace a full section of the food pipe and restore normal swallowing in a growing animal.

The research, carried out in pigs, was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology in March, and announced on 20 March.

How it was made

The team took an oesophagus from a donor pig and removed all of its cells, leaving behind a natural scaffold of tissue. They then repopulated the scaffold with cells taken from the pig that would receive it.

The engineered oesophagus was implanted in young pigs, replacing a section of their food pipe. The implants worked normally, allowing the animals to swallow and grow, and they did not need drugs to suppress their immune systems, because the new tissue was made with their own cells.

Hope for children

The work is aimed at helping children born with long-gap oesophageal atresia, a rare condition in which part of the food pipe is missing. Babies with the condition cannot swallow, and often need several operations in their first years of life.

Current treatments involve stretching the remaining parts of the oesophagus or using sections of the stomach or bowel to bridge the gap, which can cause long-term problems.

Growing with the child

A key finding is that the engineered tissue worked in growing animals. That is important for treating babies, whose organs need to grow as they do.

Next steps

The researchers say they hope to be able to offer engineered tissue to children who need it within five years, although further studies and regulatory approval will be needed before it can be tried in patients.

They believe the same approach could one day be used to create other tissues and organs.

A British strength

Great Ormond Street Hospital and UCL have a long history of work on regenerative medicine for children. The research is part of a growing field that aims to repair or replace damaged tissues using the patient's own cells.

The study shows how engineering and biology are coming together to create treatments that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago.