Scientists figured out a way to grow mini-copies of a baby’s organs from amniotic fluid. This fluid surrounds and protects the baby in the womb.
These mini-organs, called organoids, act like real organs and can be used to study how a baby develops and how diseases affect them. This is especially helpful for studying development in late pregnancy, which hasn’t been possible before.
Doctors hope this will lead to better ways to diagnose and treat conditions babies are born with, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). In this condition, a hole in the diaphragm makes it hard for the lungs to grow.
Previously, studying these conditions relied on scans and genetic tests. This new method allows doctors to see how a treatment might work on a cellular level before the baby is even born.
News Source: UCL
