Human Tissue Regeneration And Technological Body Implants: The Future Of Clinical Treatment Practices

Medical researchers have been experimenting with the different methods of tissue regeneration to obtain clinically applicable body parts or organs. Most of these approaches are extremely complicated and require the application of expensive biocompatible scaffolds. This not only multiplies the cost incurred in the process but also hinders the large-scale application of the method.

Growing Human Parts on Apple

Andrew Pelling, a biophysicist from the University of Ottawa, has been working on the development of a simple yet effective method of tissue regeneration that encompasses the use of apples as scaffolds. The idea of growing human parts on a fruit was initially ridiculed by many; however, the growing evidence obtained over the last couple of years has proved the skeptics wrong.

According to Futurism, Pelling first bathes the apple in boiling hot water followed by liquid dish soap, to remove the cellular portion of the fruit. Once done, the apple is left with only the cellulosic portion. The cellulose framework can be used as a scaffold for regenerating human tissue. Pelling filled the scaffold with mammalian cells that he found grew very well in the presence of appropriate stimulation and led to the formation of human body segments such as ears and skin.

From Fruits to Machines

While Andrew Pelling's fruit-based body parts are gaining popularity, a recent research study indicates that more people are accepting the idea of clinical application of technological implants. The groundbreaking concept of "melding of human and machine," which according to some is the first stage towards development of cyborgs, is yet to pragmatize on a clinical level.

According to a recent report published in the Computers in Human Behavior journal, the use of machine-based body implants, such as cochlear implant, cardioverter defibrillators, sensory prosthetic-based exoskeletons and neurons, has gained increasing acceptance. These may soon be ready to be used in large scale, SingularityHub reported.

According to medical experts, tissue regeneration and technology-based body implants are both highly effective methods, and their applicability largely relies on the total cost as well as acceptability. The advent of new cost-efficient tissue regeneration methods and the growing public acceptability may help in furthering their application on a large scale.