We missed this optimistic stem cell story at the time, but it’s too good to omit. In March, researchers at University College London (UCL) gave a new trachea to a 10-year-old boy, using his own stem cells. The operation was a world first, involving both hospital-based clinicians and laboratory-based scientists collaborating with colleagues in Europe.

The boy was born with Long Segment Tracheal Stenosis – a rare condition where the windpipe does not grow and restricts breathing. A short time after birth, he was given a conventional trachea transplant at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), but his condition deteriorated last year. A metal stent was implanted which eroded his aorta and caused severe bleeding.

A transplant technique with adult stem cells was developed at UCL, GOSH, the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, and the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy. Cells were stripped from a donated trachea. These were used to replace the whole airway, and the child’s bone marrow cells were used to seal the airway in the body.

This technique – one that has not been used previously to treat a child – should greatly reduce the risk of rejection by the body, as adult stem cells will not generate an immune response. ~ UCL News Mar 19