Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine could be offering new hope to men with genital abnormalities or injuries in as little as five years, thanks to one of their many tissue engineering endeavors: lab-grown penises.
Back in 1999, they became the first in the world to successfully implant a lab-grown organ into humans — a bladder. Since then, they’ve transplanted engineered vaginas into women born with defects or without vaginas entirely.
[T]he team [has] managed to grow 12 functioning penises for rabbit subjects. After grafting them on to the recipients, all tried to mate with a female, eight successfully ejaculated, and four produced offspring.
All Western obsessiveness with sexuality notwithstanding, it’s not difficult to see the benefit of this for victims of traumatic battlefield or other injuries as well as significantly improved transgender operations.
That being said, countdown to transplants for purpose of penile enlargement in 10…9…8…7…