How Lab-Made "Mini-Organs" Can Treat Cystic Fibrosis
Last resort treatment
Els van der Heijden, a 53-year-old woman with cystic fibrosis, found it more and more difficult to breathe due to the buildup of thick and sticky mucus in her lungs. Regardless of taking several pills and inhalers on a daily basis, she had to stop working due to the severity of her condition. Heijden had a rare form of cystic fibrosis that doctors found no drug could cure. At this point, doctors decided to graze a few cells from Heijden and use them to grow a mini replica of her large intestine in a dish.
