Question: can you regrow an soficus by using stem cells in a lab ???

Tiffany Taylor answered on 13 Jun 2012:

Do you mean an oesophagus (it’s a really hard word to spell) which is the pipe which connects the mouth to stomach?

Stem cells can technically become any type of cell in the human body, so it has the potential to be able to grow any type of organ in the body. So yes – you could grown an oesophagus in the lab. That’s why it is so exciting for research because in the future we might be able to grow all types of organs which can be used for transplants (like a heart transplant or a liver transplant). These grown organs are guaranteed not to be rejected because they are genetically identical to the person’s faulty organ.

The trouble is, there are lots of people who are against research using stem cells because they could also be used to clone whole people. It’s a shame because there is the chance for lots of really important discoveries which could save lots of lives.