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Scientists create first ever human lung in lab

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ANI Washington
Last Updated : Feb 15 2014 | 11:55 AM IST

Scientists have created the first ever human lungs in a laboratory in Texas.

Joan Nichols, a researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said that it's really cool that scientists are now finally moving into science fact, CNN reported.

Researchers have revealed that if the lungs work, it will be able to help more than 1,600 people awaiting a lung transplant.

Nichols said that the researchers started with lungs from two children who had died from trauma, but as their lungs were too damaged to be used for transplantation, they did have some healthy tissue.

He said that one of the lungs were taken and stripped away nearly everything, leaving a scaffolding of collagen and elastin, after which cells from the other lung was taken and put them on the scaffolding.

Nichols added that the scientists then immersed the structure in a large chamber filled with a liquid "resembling Kool-Aid," which provided nutrients for the cells to grow and an engineered human lung emerged after about four weeks.

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First Published: Feb 15 2014 | 11:46 AM IST

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