Scientists must start lab-developed penis tests

As you know, there are already several organs being developed in the lab, such as tracheas, ears, and vaginas, to name a few. And according to a story published by The Guardian, we can now also include penises in this list. Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine in North Carolina will begin testing with male limbs designed to help men with congenital anomalies who have had traumatic accidents or had drastic surgery.

Current penile reconstruction surgeries involve the use of prostheses that are wrapped in skin grafts obtained from the patient's thigh. The new procedure involves developing the penis from the patient's own cell cultures to produce tissues that his body will recognize as his own. The technique further promises that the “new” limb has erectile function and allows the transplanted to lead a normal life.

New technique

The technique is to wash a donor's penis with detergent substances that remove all living limb cells. After two weeks, the result is a collagen structure upon which the researchers implant penile cells - including endothelial and smooth muscle cells needed for erectile function - collected from the patient receiving the organ himself.

The team has been working on this technique for a number of years and has successfully performed the procedure on rabbits - which were able to mate and even reproduce after transplantation. Now researchers should start testing with men and, if all goes well, lab-developed penile transplants should become a reality in about 5 years.

It is noteworthy that this new procedure can only be used in male patients, as it is based on the use of specific penile cells - which means that the same procedure cannot be applied in surgeries of women who wish to change sex.