‘Mini organs’ grown from stem cells of unborn babies for the first time in new hope for genetic diseases
SCIENTISTS can grow organs and cells from babies in the late stages of pregnancy for the first time, a study reports.
They hope it will lead to better tests and treatments for genetic conditions.
Around three per cent of babies in the UK are born with an illness they developed in the womb – more than 20,000 per year.
Ailments include diaphragm hernias, which cause the developing organs to slip out of place, cystic fibrosis and cystic kidney disease.
It is illegal to tamper with foetuses after the 22nd week of pregnancy, making it difficult to help kids before birth.
But experts say they can now grow miniature organs from cells found floating in the amniotic sac – without touching the baby.
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We know so little about late human pregnancy so this is incredibly exciting
Dr Mattia Gerli
Amniotic fluid is produced by the foetus and surrounds it in the womb, flowing through its body and carrying cells and DNA.
Medics try to avoid poking surgical tools in unless the baby is at risk of a serious disease, because it can raise miscarriage risk.
But it is a generally safe procedure and Dr Mattia Gerli, from University College London, says it can provide cells to study in the lab.
The cells could now teach scientists more about genetic illnesses, leading to better tests and treatments for sick babies.
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They will also reveal secrets about how babies develop in the mysterious later stages of pregnancy.
Study author Dr Gerli said: “We know so little about late human pregnancy so it’s incredibly exciting to open up new areas of prenatal medicine.
“The organoids we created from amniotic fluid cells show many of the functions of the tissues they represent.
“They will allow us to study what is happening during development in both health and disease, which is something that hadn’t been possible before.”
Research could help new parents
The researchers harvested lung, kidney and small intestine cells from the wombs of 12 mums up to as late as 34 weeks into their pregnancy.
They were then multiplied and grown into tiny versions of the organs in a lab to be studied.
Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, Dr Gerli said testing the procedure on kids with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, in which the organs slip out of place, revealed changes to the cells in foetuses after they had surgery to fix the deadly condition – proving it worked.
Professor Paolo de Coppi, senior study author and surgeon at Great Ormond Street, said: “This is the first time that we’ve been able to make a functional assessment of a child’s congenital condition before birth, which is a huge step.
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“When we meet families with a prenatal diagnosis, we’re often unable to tell them much about the outcome because each case is different.
“We’re not claiming that we can do that just yet, but this is the first step towards being able to offer a more detailed prognosis and hopefully provide more effective treatments in future.”
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