Stem cells used to grow a replacement testicle?

[FocalPoint]

Hey guys, been a while since I've posted here, but I'd been reading some medical journals and reports lately. Obviously medical science has jumped leaps and bounds with the introduction of stem cell usage. IE: Regrowing ears, noses, and other body parts lost due to unforeseen circumstances. Recently they've begun to get a little more clever with the stem cells, removing them from the testicles now to help regrow pancreases for those stricken with pancreatic cancer.

Obviously a transplant of an organ grown from your own stem cells would produce a 0% rejection rate, and you wouldn't have to wait years on a donor list. My question is, has there been any talk on growing replacement testicles for those stricken with testicular cancer? I know the big consensus is "Why bother, fertility isn't important, and hormones can be synthesized." This is true, but I have to believe that men with this disease would be far more interested in having a testicle replicated and placed back in to handle both jobs of fertility and hormones naturally. Has there been any talks by the medical field to explore this option? Would the duplicated or grown testicle be subject to grow cancer if it's created from your DNA, stem cells? I know testicle transplants have been done, but that's obviously a foreign testicle, and only there for hormones, as I believe the donor's DNA would follow the testicle.

I just figure it would be an ideal way of doing things for the patient, but I guess hormone replacement therapy is too big a business to want to start this kind of procedure.

[julesTO]

Sounds like its very much being worked on for all kinds of organs, albeit things would be further along if not for George W. No reason to believe testicles won't be in the mix eventually!

Also, wouldn't it be GREAT if we could do drug testing on stem cells vs. clinical trials, as the article suggests?

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-rebirth-of-stem-cells/186721-55.html

[FocalPoint]

Here's to hoping one day soon I can trade my prosthetic in for a real testicle. This could also be a saving grace for those who've been unfortunate enough to endure this disease twice.

[FocalPoint]

So I try and keep an eye open for anything concerning the regrowing of testicles for those of us who met with one of our boys' unfortunate end. Whether through cancer, birth defect, accident, or otherwise.

I know hormone replacement therapy is big business, but I so much rather have 2 boys, than just the 1. I feel somewhat guarding over the sole survivor now, and find myself often checking it for size, shape, lumps, etc. I've even kept a steady facial hair growth schedule, to make sure it's growing at the same rate. It's crazy... almost like this is PTSD or something. I hate this feeling, and would love it if I didn't have to worry about the possibilities of low T some day, or issues arising from having one testicle, whether it be ED, or just attitude and moods.

I'd honestly pay out of pocket if necessary to have a replacement grown, and put in, if it came down to it. I just wish I knew that there was actual progress being made.

Perhaps if we get a petition going...

[HUGOBOSS]

stem cells and growing testicles

Hey guys, been a while since I've posted here, but I'd been reading some medical journals and reports lately. Obviously medical science has jumped leaps and bounds with the introduction of stem cell usage. IE: Regrowing ears, noses, and other body parts lost due to unforeseen circumstances. Recently they've begun to get a little more clever with the stem cells, removing them from the testicles now to help regrow pancreases for those stricken with pancreatic cancer.

Obviously a transplant of an organ grown from your own stem cells would produce a 0% rejection rate, and you wouldn't have to wait years on a donor list. My question is, has there been any talk on growing replacement testicles for those stricken with testicular cancer? I know the big consensus is "Why bother, fertility isn't important, and hormones can be synthesized." This is true, but I have to believe that men with this disease would be far more interested in having a testicle replicated and placed back in to handle both jobs of fertility and hormones naturally. Has there been any talks by the medical field to explore this option? Would the duplicated or grown testicle be subject to grow cancer if it's created from your DNA, stem cells? I know testicle transplants have been done, but that's obviously a foreign testicle, and only there for hormones, as I believe the donor's DNA would follow the testicle.

I just figure it would be an ideal way of doing things for the patient, but I guess hormone replacement therapy is too big a business to want to start this kind of procedure.

hello
if u ever ever have info on any place tht has stem cell treatment with success pls let me know. [email protected]

[mpbro]

I was just asking myself the same question. I'll bet that 20-30 years from now, this will be a reality and commonplace.

[Davepet]

I was just asking myself the same question. I'll bet that 20-30 years from now, this will be a reality and commonplace.

I'm guessing that if this ever becomes an option, it will need to be done very soon after the I/O, maybe even at the same time, since joining all the blood vessels, spermatic cord, etc would likely need to be done before they did the normal healing process.

The other question I'd have to ask myself as a 2x survivor: "Do I really want to chance being a 3x survivor?"....

[FocalPoint]

I'm guessing that if this ever becomes an option, it will need to be done very soon after the I/O, maybe even at the same time, since joining all the blood vessels, spermatic cord, etc would likely need to be done before they did the normal healing process.

The other question I'd have to ask myself as a 2x survivor: "Do I really want to chance being a 3x survivor?"....

Well assuming there was a slim slim chance, as getting it once is so rare, supposedly, and a second time, even rarer...

I would assume you would need a lifestyle change, as somehow you're mutating your cells whether through interaction or ingestion of certain hazardous materials, etc, or just by sheer chance.

As rare a chance as that is.

I do believe that some day it will happen, hopefully soon. I don't think blood vessels would pose much of an issue, as I read reports on testicular transplants in other parts of the world years after the I/O had been performed.

[Davepet]

Well assuming there was a slim slim chance, as getting it once is so rare, supposedly, and a second time, even rarer...

I have a theory about that. Back when I got my 1st TC, only the guys that caught it early survived for more than a few years. I will not be surprized if in another 20 or so years there are a lot more TCx2 cases, since more of us survive the 1st one.

I would assume you would need a lifestyle change, as somehow you're mutating your cells whether through interaction or ingestion of certain hazardous materials, etc, or just by sheer chance.

There is absolutely no science to back up that assumption. The current thinking is something happend prenatal to increase your odds of TC. That's part of my above theory, actually.

I do believe that some day it will happen, hopefully soon. I don't think blood vessels would pose much of an issue, as I read reports on testicular transplants in other parts of the world years after the I/O had been performed.

If you have links to that info,I'd like to read up on it.
Thanks,
Dave

[FocalPoint]

While I was never a victim of prenatal defects... from what my medical records show, I did have rubella which is a form of measles, which I'm not sure if that has any effect on my chances. Aside from that, the occasional bleach baths for poison ivy, were really the only harsh house hold chemical I came close to.

I suppose your theory could be true about the 2x's but even in today's standards, I would assume the figures would've adjusted to accommodate the surge in 2x's warriors.

If I can dig up the articles, I will be happy to direct you to them. I know one was in French or German, and was almost against the procedure, but said it had been performed.

I'm still hoping for stem cells personally, as if you were to get a testicle transplant, you'd have to receive a steady stream of meds to prevent your body from rejecting the foreign tissue. Stem cell grown testicles could prevent said rejection, and still pass along your DNA to offspring.


Much to my dismay, no doctor, research group, or bio-engineer has replied back to my correspondence with them concerning this topic. I have extended my messages overseas to Germany specifically to see if I can catch the interest of any scientists and surgical teams with my thoughts on the matter. I wouldn't mind being the guinea pig for such an operation.

[Davepet]

You were not a victim of any *known* prenatal defects. They really have no idea what might cause the tendency for TC to develop. The main risk factor is an undescended testicle at birth, which increases the odds, but they don't know why. Most of us have had no diagnosed prenatal problems, but that can't rule out what isn't known yet.

It took 35 years for my 2nd TC to show up. If you pay attention to the dates, you will find very few others on this board that had their 1st TC back in the mid 70's. The advent of BEP & better testing methods in the late 70's/early 80's have reversed the odds from less than 10% survival to less than 10% fatal. The statistics on TC 2 may take a while to catch up.

While I'm sure at some point in time, the stem cell thing will be viable, I don't think it will be in any current generation's lifetime, maybe the youngest generation. JMHO

If the article you mentioned is not in English, not much point in looking for it, while I can read some Spanish, a technical article would be beyond my abilities. French & German are not in my bag of tricks at all.

Dave

[FocalPoint]

You were not a victim of any *known* prenatal defects. They really have no idea what might cause the tendency for TC to develop. The main risk factor is an undescended testicle at birth, which increases the odds, but they don't know why. Most of us have had no diagnosed prenatal problems, but that can't rule out what isn't known yet.

It took 35 years for my 2nd TC to show up. If you pay attention to the dates, you will find very few others on this board that had their 1st TC back in the mid 70's. The advent of BEP & better testing methods in the late 70's/early 80's have reversed the odds from less than 10% survival to less than 10% fatal. The statistics on TC 2 may take a while to catch up.

While I'm sure at some point in time, the stem cell thing will be viable, I don't think it will be in any current generation's lifetime, maybe the youngest generation. JMHO

If the article you mentioned is not in English, not much point in looking for it, while I can read some Spanish, a technical article would be beyond my abilities. French & German are not in my bag of tricks at all.

Dave

Well if I come across it, I will translate it for you, and post it here. No sweat.

[Davepet]

Cool, I'd be interested in learning more about that.

[FocalPoint]

I received this response to a thread I replied in a few years ago about testicle transplants and possible regen. therapy, and received this response today.

Mind you the tone of the thread was grim...

"Hello, I had my testicle removed about a year ago, because of testicular cancer. I couldn't accept it and I was even close to commit suicide, but then I realized that once I've read about lab grown trachea transplant. I started searching for something like that with testicles and I found that dr. Anthony Atala at Wake Forest institute for Regenerative Medicine is working on that. This a message that I've received form Institute: "Thank you for your inquiry regarding Dr. Atala’s research on testicular regeneration using cell and tissue engineering techniques. Although we are actively working in this area, it is still in the experimental stage. We regret that this technology cannot be applied to clinical practice at this time. However, it is our goal to bring this technology to a point of widespread clinical use, and we hope that we could help patients and their families, like you, in the future. We thank you for your interest in our work. We will keep your inquiry on record and contact you if appropriate in the future. Please provide your full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email so that we can contact you if needed." I'm so happy that I'm not the one who would like to be normal and who do not think it is all right to have only one testicle. By the way, I've wrote about that testicular cancer foundations, but no of them were interested, but I've found a group for people with anorchia (they don't have testicles at all since birth). They are much more interested in regenerative medicine. You can find this group on Facebook, just search for anorchia. You can also write to me at newtesticle at gmail dot com. Maybe we can organize something together."


I sent the Doctor a message already detailing my plight which I encourage everyone to do the same if possible. Seems like this is perhaps more likely in our lifetimes than we thought.

[FocalPoint]

I received this message today from the institute:

Mr. Park,



Thank you for your inquiry regarding Dr. Atala’s research on testicle regeneration using cell and tissue engineering techniques. Although we are actively working in this area, it is still in the experimental stage. We regret that this technology cannot be applied to clinical practice at this time. However, it is our goal to bring this technology to a point of widespread clinical use, and we hope that we could help patients and their families, like you, in the future. We thank you for your interest in our work. We will keep your inquiry on record and contact you if appropriate in the future.



Please provide your full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email so that we can contact you if needed.



Sincerely,







Terri Bowen

Administrative Manager

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

336-713-7293 / 336-713-7290-fax

[email protected] / www.wfirm.org