30-year old Claudia Castillo of Colombia received a new windpipe in the first human organ to be grown from stem cells taken from the patient.
The human scientific endeavour first started with a windpipe from a 51-year old donor.
Technically the donor only provided the hardware the tissues and cells inside the windpipe came from Castillo's body.
The process is groundbreaking instead of using embryonic stem cells in this case the stem cells were taken from the patient's hip bone. Those cells were mass produced in the millions by a renowned stem cell research team in England and then performed in Spain by the medical team there.
After applying various chemical injections the cells transformed to become the same type of cells which form the inside the lining of the windpipe. The donated portion of the windpipe was grown inside a special container until it became a functioning airway fit for a transplant.
Claudia's long battle with tuberculosis caused her airwaves to collapse and the possibility that she may lose her left lung which led to this scientific breakthrough. After six months Claudia is doing well with her implant organ leading a normal life.
Doctors say there was no post operation hiccups and Castillo doesn't need to take any anti-rejection drugs. Her operation is one of only a few success stories among implant cases using modified tissues from adult human stem cells.
Despite the ethical debate over stem cell research the recent operation only shows what scientific advancement can achieve.
Shin Haejoo, Arirang News.
NOV 25, 2008
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Friday, SEP 03, 2010, (KST) 
