Engineered Rabbit Penises Raise Human Hopes
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By Brandon Keim
- November 9, 2009 |
- 3:00 pm |
- Categories: Biotech, Medicine
Using tissue grown in a laboratory, researchers have engineered fully functional replacement penises. The organs were made for rabbits, but the technique may someday be useful for people.
“This technology has considerable potential for patients requiring penile construction,” wrote researchers in a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Leading the team was Anthony Atala, director of Wake Forest University’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Atala is best known for developing a technique in which cells are taken from an organ and sprayed onto a frame made of collagen, the primary structural protein in animal tissue. The structure is then bathed with growth-stimulating compounds and kept in an oven that duplicates the body’s temperature and chemical composition.
Given these starting conditions, natural biology does the rest. The cells divide and arrange themselves in natural, working configurations.
Atala’s group has already implanted lab-grown bladders, grown from the patients’ own tissue, in seven men. Bladders are just one of dozens of organs being engineered by the group, from every part of the body — but in some organs, it’s been difficult to find the right starting mix of different cell types, and reconstruction has proved challenging. The penis is one such organ.
In earlier studies, the researchers grew segments of the penis’ main structures, called corpus cavernosa. These lie along the shaft of the penis, and are made from a complex, sponge-like arrangement of different cell types. But when implanted in rabbits whose corpus cavernosa had been removed, the tissue failed to become erect.
This time, they used a different mix of growth factors, and grew entire corpus cavernosa, rather than pieces of them. It worked: The next penises responded normally to electrical and chemical stimuli, and — more importantly — to biological imperative. When given the chance to have sex, eight were able to ejaculate, and four became fathers.
Oddly, the procedure seemed to make the rabbits randier than usual.
“Most control rabbits did not attempt copulation after introduction to their female partners,” wrote the researchers. “All rabbits with bioengineered neocorpora attempted copulation within one minute of introduction.”
Image: PNAS
See Also:
- Salamander Discovery Could Lead to Human Limb Regeneration
- How the Smell of Rotten Eggs Could Lead to a New Viagra
Citation: “Bioengineered corporal tissue for structural and functional restoration of the penis.” By Kuo-Liang Chen, Daniel Eberli, James J. Yoo, and Anthony Atala. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 106 No. 45, November 9, 2009.
Brandon Keim’s Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecosystem and planetary tipping points.
“Most control rabbits did not attempt copulation after introduction to their female partners,” wrote the researchers. “All rabbits with bioengineered neocorpora attempted copulation within one minute of introduction.”
When you get a new toy you just naturally want to try it out.
Great - THERE’s a goal - being hung…like a rabbit.
(like Dan Fogelberg said in that song:
“…You’re hung like a rabbit, creature of habit. Scared of a fear you can’t name…”
Now they just need to figure out how to regrow foreskin.
What about a regrown penis that shoots blanks? Now THAT would be great.
Thanks to the aptly named “PNAS” for the info!
The following just came to mind reading this article right after reading the article about the “cop-killer gun” the Ft. Hood shooter used:
“The gun is good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seeds, and makes new life to poison the Earth with a plague of men, as once it was, but the gun shoots death, and purifies the Earth of the filth of brutals. Go forth, and kill!”
John Bobbits of the world, take heed.
I guess I just wasn’t privy to the fact that there are so many men in need of penile (re)construction. Poor rabbits. LOL
When they can genetically merge a horse penise with a man penise, I’m sure this will get some more attention, at least from all of you itty-bity-pitys. LOL
The bigger question is:
How made this Information make his way anywhere without ending in a spam filter?
There is hope for transmen yet!
(A.P.) The RNC announced today that it will support funding for stem cell research to the tune of $50 billion in fiscal 2010.
Representative Ralph P. Strange (R-Okla) said, “we believe future stem cell funding will allow increased growth in the health industry that will increase our ability to penatrate foreign markets and provide a boost to depressed men in the economy.”
The funding bill is expected to receive support from Democrats who don’t expect any cuts in funding, due to widespread support by tha majority of Congressmen in both caucuses.
Can I grow a penis out of the side of my penis?
I can haz second penis?
cue new wave of spam: ‘erectile disfunction? why bother with pills and potions when you can have your member replaced with a lab-grown upgraded model. FDA approved Canadian pharmacies can supply you with replacement corpus cavernosa via our secure on-line mail-ordering department. The Penis of your dreams for only $32.25′
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Did they call this the “Bobbitt Project”?
So, I want to know, if you get one of these, will you fall over backwards after “the act” like a male rabbit does?
Hmm… I want to grow one out of my forehead, so I can be like a unicorn!
Wow imagine the market for that! WOuld put Ezxtenze out of business!. This is also huge news for the Rabbit porn business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“raise” human hopes?
Methinks the wired sub-editor is having a little bit of fun around the subject matter…
This reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw the other day:
“Nice truck. Sorry about the small penis.”