The dog bladder tissue has successfully been regenerated by two Chinese scientists who transplanted the bladder cells into a naked mouse.

Experts say this marks another big breakthrough in the field of tissue engineering made by Wang Changyong and Fan Ming, two researchers with Beijing-based China's Military Medical Research Institute (MMRI), who had previously regenerated several types of cartilage tissues.

They first managed to take smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells from a dog bladder, which were cultivated in vitro for some time before being transplanted to a bladder-shaped support bracket made of special biological materials.

Having grown large enough, the mixed tissue body was transplanted into the back of a naked mouse through surgery. It has expanded fast as the cells keep absorbing nutrition from the mouse.

Though carrying a "dog bladder" as big as half a ping-pong ball, the naked mouse still runs around and looks very robust.

Tissue engineering is dedicated to the production and regeneration of human tissues, which will enable people to clone human tissues and turn the non-self tissue transplant into reality.

The MMRI has made remarkable progress in the study of tissue engineering, and is expected to come up with a series of applicable products such as cartilage and bone tissues in the coming years.

China has established a human tissues research and development in Shanghai early this year, which is the largest of its kind worldwide, sources said.

(Xinhua News Agency 08/21/2001)