Introduction:

One of the important discoveries of new age medical science is the development of artificial organs in laboratory. These artificial organs can be implanted in human body to replace the natural organ. New research is being conducted to improve functions of these artificial organs. In the near future we would be able to create a real human being using these artificial organs.

Artificial Blood Vessels:

Artificial blood vessels research is going on in Hokkaido University. These artificial blood vessels are under clinical trial for use in human beings.
Researchers have developed artificial blood vessels using collagen from the salmon skin. The usage of collagen from salmon is considered to be safe for human use as there are no viruses known to the date that are transmitted from salmon to human. The researchers first will use this artificial blood vessel in larger animals like dogs and also in other animals. Researchers are hoping to use this artificial blood vessel to replace damaged blood vessels in humans. Eventually, the artificial blood vessels will be a reality and this will improve the quality of life of human beings.

Artificial bones:

For a long time scientists and researchers are busy with experiments to develop artificial bones. Recently, scientists found that the combination of citric acid along with 1, 8-octanediol results in a stretchy and strong yellow colored rubber, which can be then melded into a wide variety of shapes and can also be used to replace damaged body parts. This yellow colored polymer when mixed with hydroxyapatite powder results in a very hard material that can be used to repair damaged or broken bones. This hydroxyapatite powder is the same chemical compound that makes up our natural bone therefore acceptance of these artificial bones is not an issue.
Recently, scientists have discovered a new method of growing artificial bones from a modified version of an inkjet printer. This technique will be a breakthrough in the field of bone grafting. This new method creates the artificial bone similar to that of natural bone so this can be used to replace the damaged bones in humans.

This new technology of creating artificial bone is very promising for human kind but now this technology is in clinical trial stage, so have to wait for some time to use them to improve quality of life of human beings.

Artificial Skin:

First artificial skin developed in 1996 at MIT was given FDA approval to be used on patients with severe burns or on patients who have lost their dermis due to some injury. The method used to create this artificial skin involved chemically bonding of collagen extracted from animal source with glycosaminoglycan molecule from animal cartilage to develop a model of the extracellular matrix, which can be used to create a new dermis or skin.

Then during 2001, a self-repairing plastic skin or dermis was developed by scientists of United States. This new type of artificial skin was very much like real skin, it was able to bleed and also heal by itself, thereby this discovery led to a breakthrough in vital materials used in surgical implants.
Another important achievement in artificial skin is the re-generation of the skin or dermis. Scientists at Cambridge-based biotechnology firm called as Intercytex have discovered a new technology to fight aging process. Scientists have discovered a way to grow cells dubbed fibroblasts in the laboratory condition. These cultured fibroblasts, have got the ability to generate a protein known as collagens. This collagen protein adds to the strength and elasticity of the skin. But as we age the count of these cells reduce and imparts the signs of aging in humans. Therefore, when these cells are injected into the wrinkles a sign of aging, it will lead to the regeneration of the collagen; this in turn will encourage the skin to regenerate all over again. Re-generating the human skin is a great achievement by these scientists.

Recently, scientists have also developed bacteria-resistanant cells in the laboratory and are now trying them on animals. Scientists are now trying to develop an artificial skin with some of the abilities of natural skin such as fight off infection, tan and sweat, and ultimately to generate a real skin in the laboratory.

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