The scientists have successfully transplanted bioengineered lungs into a pig , with plans to do the same with humans in between five and ten years , thereby reducing the waiting time for lung transplants . One The lungs and working blood vessels were grown in a laboratory , using separate pig lungs to provide the protein scaffold and the cells to cover it . It is hoped the process could repair damaged lungs , enabling them to be used in transplants . The scientists aim to use the technique to treat babies born without lungs by using a lung from the mother , or stem cells from the baby .
The scientists have successfully transplanted bioengineered lungs into a pig , with plans to do the same with humans in between five and ten years , thereby reducing the waiting time for lung transplants . The lungs and working blood vessels were grown in a laboratory , using separate pig lungs to provide the protein scaffold and the cells to cover it . It is hoped the process could repair damaged lungs , enabling them to be used in transplants . The scientists aim to use the technique to treat babies born without lungs by using a lung from the mother , or stem cells from the baby .