NEW HAND TECHNOLOGY

In a previous article entitled, New Skin, I discussed the use of a bioengineered skin called Apligraf on an eight-week-old baby. Well if you thought that was amazing, keep reading. Doctors at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky recently announced a successful hand transplant! Whoa, we're talking about an actual transplant and not an artificial hand.
The transplant recipient had previously lost his hand in a tragic accident. He had been fitted with a prosthetic hand but had not adapted to its use. Under most conditions, doctors won't attempt a transplant of a non-essential body part but the doctors felt that due to the age and health of the recipient the transplant could be successful.
The operation lasted approximately fifteen hours. Doctors had to attach bone, tissue, and blood vessels during the tedious procedure. Nerves were attached toward the end to make sure he at least had limited sensation.
Doctors noted that he would only gain limited use of the transplanted hand. Major motor skills may be developed but doctors are doubtful if the full range of minor motor skills will be developed.
Doctors noted that the recipient is being closely monitored to make sure that there are no signs of rejection. Should his body reject the hand, his immunosuppressive medications will be adjusted. The doctors must maintain a delicate balance. Not enough medication and the hand will be rejected, too much and his immune system will be severely hampered.
Prior to the success of this transplant, two other hand transplants were attempted. One was unsuccessful while the results of the most recent one are still being determined.

NEW SKIN

Sometimes we take the simple things for granted: a gentle touch or a hug from a loved one. For some, such small gestures can have dire consequences. For people suffering from a set of rare genetic disorders, the skin may blister from the smallest touch. For years, people suffering from epidermolysis bullosa had little hope for relief from the disease.
Scientists at the University of Miami recently announced a new technique for bioengineering skin that offers hope to those suffering from the severe forms of the disease. An eight-week-old baby became a recipient of this bioengineered skin, known as Apligraf. Approximately 45% of her body has been covered with the new bioengineered skin. The skin is simply placed on her body and held in place by gauze and petroleum based products, similar to Vaseline. The baby's hands and feet are wrapped to make sure that she doesn't injure herself while the skin takes hold. Doctors hope to prolong her life with the replaced skin, although they don't believe that a full cure is imminent.
The baby has a particularly severe form of epidermolysis bullosa called Dowling Meara disease. Her cells lack the necessary cellular components that make skin "stick" together. As a result, the slightest contact can cause a tear in the skin. Likewise, persons with this disease are particularly susceptible to infections.
Apligraf was developed by a company called Organogenesis and was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is a combination of a baby's foreskin and bovine collagen. A small piece of foreskin can produce enormous amounts of new skin. The foreskin is usually obtained after babies have been circumcised.
Apligraf has been used to heal both long-term and open venous wounds. In each case, the wounds did not heal on their own before the application of Apligraf. Organogenesis notes that the procedure has been reported by recipients to be thoroughly less painful than other procedures.
The doctors hope to continue their work with the use of Apligraf in regenerative medicine. They hope that the bioengineered skin will shorten patient stays in the hospital and allow them to effectively treat a host of skin problems.


ARTICLE COPIED FROM THE GIVEN LINK
http://biology.about.com/library/weekly/aa011499.htm