Uploaded August 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Hear from Clare Blackburn Professor of Tissue #StemCell Biology at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh as she discusses her work on the #Thymus.
Her team have, for the first time, grown a complex, fully functional #organ from scratch in a living animal by transplanting #cells that were originally created in a laboratory.
A type of cell called a fibroblast was taken from mouse embryos, a type of connective tissue cell. The cells were forced to express a certain gene not normally expressed in fibroblast cells. The team found that once they were forced to express this gene, their shape changed and they began to express other genes associated with the thymus.
The team created a thymus - an organ in the body located next to the heart that produces immune cells known as T cells that are vital for guarding against disease. The advance could in future aid the development of 'lab-grown' replacement organs.
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ABOUT THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) improves the health of people in the UK – and around the world – by supporting excellent science, and training the very best scientists.
Find out more ▶️ ukri.org/councils/MRC
#MRC #Medicine #MedicalSciences #MedicalResearch #Innovation #Health
Hear from Clare Blackburn Professor of Tissue #StemCell Biology at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh as she discusses her work on the #Thymus.
Her team have, for the first time, grown a complex, fully functional #organ from scratch in a living animal by transplanting #cells that were originally created in a laboratory.
A type of cell called a fibroblast was taken from mouse embryos, a type of connective tissue cell. The cells were forced to express a certain gene not normally expressed in fibroblast cells. The team found that once they were forced to express this gene, their shape changed and they began to express other genes associated with the thymus.
The team created a thymus - an organ in the body located next to the heart that produces immune cells known as T cells that are vital for guarding against disease. The advance could in future aid the development of 'lab-grown' replacement organs.
Learn more ▶️ukri.org/about-us/mrc
Let’s connect!
Twitter 🔗 twitter.com/The_MRC
LinkedIn 🔗 linkedin.com/company/medical-research-council
YouTube 🔗 youtube.com/c/medicalresearchcouncil
Instagram 🔗 instagram.com/weareukri
We think you’ll like…
Treating the Coronavirus | Reducing the Odds of Developing Severe Disease
▶️ youtube.com/watch?v=GBvzwIFQfc8
What Happens to a Donated Brain | Insights From the South West Dementia Brain Bank
▶️ youtube.com/watch?v=uh-xDY26eIs
ABOUT THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (MRC)
The Medical Research Council (MRC) improves the health of people in the UK – and around the world – by supporting excellent science, and training the very best scientists.
Find out more ▶️ ukri.org/councils/MRC
#MRC #Medicine #MedicalSciences #MedicalResearch #Innovation #Health
