I have heard that the US Government is considering using transplants to rebuild men's penises damaged during war or other conflicts. One of the problems is the need for anti rejection drugs for the rest of life.
I also know there are moves afoot to use stem cells to grow body parts, but one of the problems here is (I believe) that the more complex the part, the more difficult it is, as the scaffolds for example do not support the likes of veins and arteries, which have to grow into the new part after transplantation.
So, I was wondering - what if a penis (or foreskin) was transplanted, but at the same time was seeded with stem cells from the recipient, which could gradually replace the donor's cells as they die off. No doubt anti rejection drugs would have to be used at first, then in reducing amounts to control the process. I realise there's more to it than this, but I'm just starting the process here.
Is this feasible? Perhaps someone with much greater knowledge of the medical background could answer this rather simplistic question for me?
I also know there are moves afoot to use stem cells to grow body parts, but one of the problems here is (I believe) that the more complex the part, the more difficult it is, as the scaffolds for example do not support the likes of veins and arteries, which have to grow into the new part after transplantation.
So, I was wondering - what if a penis (or foreskin) was transplanted, but at the same time was seeded with stem cells from the recipient, which could gradually replace the donor's cells as they die off. No doubt anti rejection drugs would have to be used at first, then in reducing amounts to control the process. I realise there's more to it than this, but I'm just starting the process here.
Is this feasible? Perhaps someone with much greater knowledge of the medical background could answer this rather simplistic question for me?
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