(c) The University of Gothenburg
University of GothenburgのMichael Olausson教授
幹細胞から作成した血管を移植する手術が10歳の女児で成功した。この女児は，生後1年間で腸管から肝臓へ血液を送る血管に血餅ができ，生命を脅かす内出血の危険があった。死亡したドナーの血管を化学的に処理して支持組織のみを残し，女児の骨髄から採取した幹細胞を添加すると，4週間以内で新しい血管が成長した。この血管で腸管から肝臓への血流を回復する手術が行われ，3カ月たつが経過は順調だという。血管は女児自身の幹細胞に由来するため，拒絶反応の心配がない。他の移植用臓器にもこの方法を応用できる可能性がある。（吉田素子）
Stem Cell Technology Used in Unique Surgery
For the first time ever in the world, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have produced a blood vessel from stem cells and then used it in an operation on a 10-year-old girl at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Surgeon and Professor Michael Olausson was able to create a new connection with the aid of this blood vessel between the liver and the intestines, necessary to cure the girl. The girl is now in good health, and her prognosis is very good.
The girl developed during her first year of life a blood clot in the blood vessel that leads blood from the intestines to the liver. This introduced the risk that she would experience life-threatening internal bleeding. The condition can be cured if it is possible to direct the blood along the correct path, back into the liver. In optimal cases, the surgery can be performed using blood vessels from other parts of the patient’s body, but a liver transplant may be necessary if the surgery is unsuccessful due to a lack of sufficient blood vessels. A liver transplant will involve subsequent lifelong treatment with immunosuppressive drugs.
Blood vessels from a dead donor were used in the present case. The vessel was then chemically treated to remove all cells RNA and DNA. This left just the supporting tissue. Stem cells were then obtained from the girl’s bone marrow and these were added to the supporting tissue. A new blood vessel grew in just under four weeks.
［単語和訳］
Stem Cell：幹細胞 Surgery：手術
researchers：研究者 blood vessel：血管 Surgeon：外科医 with the aid of：～を用いて liver：肝臓 intestines：腸 in good health：健康状態が良い prognosis：予後
blood clot：血餅 life-threatening：生命を脅かす internal bleeding：内出血 optimal：最善の liver transplant：肝移植 unsuccessful：失敗に終わった subsequent：その後の immunosuppressive drugs：免疫抑制薬
donor：提供者，ドナー chemically：化学的に cells：細胞 supporting tissue：支持組織 bone marrow：骨髄
