Human-like ear grown from animal tissue

People with deformed ears or who have lost them in accidents have something to hope for. American scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital have moved closer to being able to grow a complete human ear from animal tissue. The researchers said they took living tissues from cows and sheep and “grew them on a flexible wire frame that has the 3D shape of a real human ear,” the BBC reported. Findings indicate that in theory it is possible to grow enough cells in animals to make a full-size, flexible human ear. Dr Thomas Cervantes, leader of the research team, said the process could move into human clinical trials in about 5 years.

Read the full story on the BBC.

More details are available in the Journal of the Royal Society.