VOA慢速英語：人體器官再生某天可能成為現(xiàn)實(shí)

Re-Growing Human Body Parts

人體器官再生某天可能成為現(xiàn)實(shí)

The ability to regenerate or recreate missing body parts sounds more like part of a science fiction story than reality.

身體缺失部位的再生能力聽上去更像是科幻故事的章節(jié)，而不像是現(xiàn)實(shí)。

But researchers are finding evidence that regeneration may be possible someday in the future with improvements in technology. They imagine using 3D-printing to make a kidney for someone in need of a replacement. They also talk about possibly using bioelectricity to cause cells to build new tissue and organs.

但是研究人員正在尋找未來某天隨著科技進(jìn)步再生可能成為現(xiàn)實(shí)的證據(jù)。他們?cè)O(shè)想利用3D打印為需要換腎者制造一個(gè)腎臟。他們還談到了利用生物電讓細(xì)胞重新生成新組織和器官的可能性。

These ideas and others were discussed earlier this month at the World Science Festival in New York City. The presentation was called "Forever Young: The Promise of Human Regeneration."

這些以及其它的想法本月初在紐約市世界科學(xué)節(jié)上進(jìn)行了討論。這次發(fā)布會(huì)名為“永葆青春：人類再生的承諾。”

Scientists talked about the future of regenerative medicine, which combines the body's ability to heal itself with progress in biomedical engineering.

科學(xué)家們談到了結(jié)合人體自愈能力和生物醫(yī)學(xué)工程進(jìn)步的再生醫(yī)學(xué)的未來。

Dany Spencer Adams is a research professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts. He told VOA that researchers have found that bioelectrical signals can lead to cellular processes in frog tadpoles. He said such signals may someday start the formation of nerves, muscles and other body parts.

丹尼·斯潘塞·亞當(dāng)斯(Dany Spencer Adams)是馬薩諸塞州塔夫茨大學(xué)的一名研究教授。他對(duì)美國(guó)之音表示，研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)，生物電信號(hào)可以引發(fā)蝌蚪的細(xì)胞進(jìn)程。他說，這類信號(hào)未來某天可能會(huì)啟動(dòng)神經(jīng)、肌肉和其它身體部位的形成。

"This is the cells themselves using electricity to communicate," he said.

他說：“這是細(xì)胞自身利用電流進(jìn)行溝通。”

In an experiment, a frog re-grew one of its legs in six months. But scientists first had to make changes in the characteristics of the animal's cells.

實(shí)驗(yàn)中的一只青蛙在六個(gè)月內(nèi)重新長(zhǎng)出了一條腿。但是科學(xué)家首先必須改造這種動(dòng)物的細(xì)胞的特性。

Researchers say they have a lot more work to do before the process can be used on human beings. They have to learn which bioelectric signals can influence the formation of which organs.

研究人員表示，在該過程可以應(yīng)用于人類之前，他們還有更多的工作要做。他們必須了解哪些生物信號(hào)可以影響哪些器官的形成。

Adams says "it's better to regenerate that organ so that you don't have issues of the immune system attacking, the way we do now with transplants. The hope is that we'll be able to help the body create a better replacement -- really, a perfect replacement, for the person of exactly what they've lost."

亞當(dāng)斯表示：“最好是重生那個(gè)器官，這樣就不存在我們現(xiàn)在移植器官時(shí)遇到的免疫系統(tǒng)攻擊問題。希望我們能夠幫助身體創(chuàng)造出更好的替代品，這對(duì)已經(jīng)失去該器官的人來說確實(shí)是一個(gè)完美的替代品。”

Jonathan Butcher is a professor and biomedical engineer at Cornell University in New York. He and other researchers have combined mechanical engineering with developmental biology to create working heart valves from 3D-printed tissue.

喬納森·布切爾(Jonathan Butcher)是紐約康奈爾大學(xué)的教授和生物醫(yī)學(xué)工程師。他和其他研究人員已經(jīng)將機(jī)械工程和發(fā)育生物學(xué)結(jié)合起來，通過3D打印器官制造出可工作的心臟瓣膜。

Children may get the most help from engineered organs or partial organs that can grow as the child does.

兒童可能從制造器官或部分器官中受益最大，這些器官可以跟隨兒童一起發(fā)育。

I'm Anne Ball.

安妮·波爾報(bào)道。