It was bound to happen, the only questions were when, and which organ would be first. The answers are 1999 and the bladder. Seven years ago, a team led by Anthony Atala, now at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, first implanted an almost entire artificial bladder into a child whose own bladder was failing. The implant was grown in the lab from the child's own cells. Atala has waited until now to go public to be sure of his procedure's long-term effects. Seven implants later, the signs are looking good (see page 10).
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