Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston have succeeded in growing human lungs in the laboratory, using components from the lungs of deceased children. 
 
Stem cell specialists have been working on growing lung tissue for some years, but the lung is a complex organ, which presents more problems than regenerating other organ tissue, such as human skin. The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) first announced their solution for growing lungs in 2010. 
 
"In terms of different cell types, the lung is probably the most complex of all organs - the cells near the entrance are very different from those deep in the lung," UTMB researcher Dr. Joaquin Cortiella said at that time. "People ask us why we're doing the lung, because it's so hard. But the potential is so great, and the technology is here. It's going to take time, but I think we're going to create a system that works." 
 
"If we can make a good lung for people, we can also make a good model for injury," researcher Dr. Joan Nichols suggested.