Artificial organs are developed organs that are used for implant into the human body, and are structured to assume the functions of the natural organ being replaced for the rest of the living person’s life. M. von Frey and M. Gruber were the first to make and use an artificial organ, being a heart-lung apparatus, for studies in Leipzig, Germany. The artificial heart contraption was dependent on a thin film of blood and included several devices that contributed to stopping the monitoring of temperature, pressure, and blood gases during the delivery of blood in the body to a capillary bed. The reason why synthetic organs were created stems back to the fact that many people are in need of organs for transplant and the little organ donations given are generally far from fulfilling the requested quota. Hence, once artificial organs are used along with donated ones, the demand will soon settle down, and the people would get the organs needed to satiate their life.
HOW ARE THEY CREATED OR MADE?
Scientists can create artificial or synthetic organs in a variety of ways. Scientists can create artificial organs through stem cells. Some artificial organs can be created in a laboratory using human amniotic fluid and animal foetal cells, or embryonic stem cells. Artificial organs can also be created from any sort of stem cells, such as from baby teeth of a young child. In some circumstances, the patient uses their own stem cells to create the organ, therefore the doctors transplanting the organs do not have to worry about the body rejecting the organ or giving the patient receiving the organ any immunosuppressive drugs in order to have the body accept the organ.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES?
The major challenges to scientific advancement in this area of biotechnology are the repercussions if the artificial organs fails to work within a human body. Some organs are human-developed, and could be made through several different types of engineering - be it by stem cells or tissue engineering. However, these organs can be rejected by the body’s internal mechanisms. Since they are foreign to the body itself, they must be able to fully function and develop on its own within the body in order for the organ to properly assume the functions the one it has replaced had done. Regardless, scientists are hoping to accomplish in the coming years a way to avoid rejection and to better develop the way that synthetic organs are designed in order to fully enhance their performance within in the body. For instance, in June 6th, 2013, researchers were able to target the immune system’s T cells, and went ahead to remove them as the transplant, along with bone marrow for reconstruction, is inserted, lowering the risk of rejection. Not only this, but they are coming up with brand new ways to store and incubate human liver cells within living animals in 2011, in which mice and pigs’ livers are replaced with human liver cells to regenerate the organ to be ready for implant.