Woman Gets New Windpipe Using Her Own Stem Cells

Both the pro-life community - who affirm the use of adult stem cells - and medical researchers are thrilled with the results.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - A Spanish woman made medical history recently by receiving a new windpipe which had been grown from her own stem cells. The announcement has brought tremendous excitement among the pro-life as well as medical communities. The former group cited this as additional evidence that adult stem cell research, which is in complete accord with catholic social teaching, is producing real results.

Claudia Castillo is a 30 year-old mother from Barcelona, Spain with a collapsed trachea, due to tuberculosis, that left her unable to breathe. Using a graft from a donor that was imbued with stem cells from the woman's bone marrow, doctors were able to fashion a new organ that replaced her existing windpipe last June.

After only four months of recovery she was able to climb two flights of stairs, and even go dancing. She also is able to look after her children - another activity that were previously impossible.

By using the woman's stem cells, Ms. Castillo becoming the first person to receive a whole organ transplant without the need for powerful immunosuppressant drugs. She still shows no signs of rejecting the new organ.

Professor Martin Birchall, of the University of Bristol, a British member of the team, told a press conference, "In 20 years' time the commonest surgical operations will be regenerative procedures to replace organs and tissues damaged by disease with autologous [self-grown] tissues and organs from the laboratory. We are on the verge of a new age in surgical care."

The procedure takes the medical community another step closer in their ability to replace damaged or worn-out organs with ones that will not be rejected. Researchers also report that this approach with personal stem cells also extends the range of organs and tissues that can be replaced.

When asked how she was doing, Ms. Castillo replied: "I was scared at the beginning because I was the first patient - but trusted the doctors. I am now enjoying life and am very happy that my illness has been cured."

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Randy Sly is a communications specialist. A former Archbishop of the ICCEC, he served in full time Christian ministry for years. He and his wife Sandy came into the full communion of the Catholic Church three years ago. He is an associate editor for Catholic Online

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