Researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina have extracted stem cells from amniotic fluid that have been found able to grow new organ tissue, LifeSiteNews.com reports. The scientists say the technique could be used to treat newborns with serious health problems diagnosed in utero. The technique of creating tissue from amniotic fluid and placental [Sign in to read the full article...]

Doctors at The Methodist Hospital in Houston are experimenting with a new treatment for diseased or injured pancreases in which they remove the organ and implant its insulin-producing cells in the patient’s arm or leg, the Houston Chronicle reports. The research, conducted on the first patient a month ago, is part of an ongoing study [Sign in to read the full article...]

Human embryonic stem cells apparently may share a problem with transplanted organs: a high probability of rejection, according to new research from Stanford University School of Medicine. Researchers found that mice mounted an immune response after being injected with human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The result: all transplanted stem cells—which hold the promise of maturing [Sign in to read the full article...]

The Ugandan government plans to establish an organ bank, the Daily Monitor newspaper reports. The Commissioner for Clinical Health Services, Dr. Jacinto Amandua, last week said the bank would be set up after Parliament passes the Organ Transplant Bill, which is currently before the legislation committee of the Ministry of Health. Vital organs for the [Sign in to read the full article...]

UK Transplant has launched a fun online application to spread the word about organ donation. The web site, “Superhero-me,” invites people to create their own superhero character, showing that everyone can be a superhero and save a life by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. The UK Transplant “Superhero” roadshow and campaign were launched at [Sign in to read the full article...]