This incredible achievement, which has been detailed online by The Lancet medical journal, is being described as a "milestone".
The scientific research team had discovered seven young patients who
had a congenital condition called myelomeningocele, which causes a weak
bladder and they took a bladder biopsy from each patient and isolated
muscle cells and special bladder cells called urothelial cells, which
they then grew in the lab.
The cells were then put into a specially designed bladder-shaped
scaffold and left to grow for seven to eight weeks and the researchers
surgically attached the bladder they had grown to the patient's own
bladder and followed progress for up to five years.
They discovered that bladder function got better without any of the
side effects associated with the technique when using bowel tissue.
Lead researcher Dr Anthony Atala said: "This is one small step in our
ability to go forward in replacing damaged tissues and organs."
But Dr Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, the journal, which
published information on the new research, said the science of growing
organs was still at an early stage.
