The bionic bladder.

Seven young people made the news when they got transplants of bladder tissue made from their own cells. Ranging in age from 4 to 19, these kids and teens are pioneer patients. "It was challenging," says Kaitlyne M., 16, of Middletown, Conn. (below), one of the transplant recipients.

People with damage to the bladder--the organ that stores urine--usually get transplants of tissue from the small intestine or stomach, with side effects such as bone weakening, cancel; or other conditions. Researchers at Children's Hospital in Boston found a way to fix ailing bladders.

They cut out the bad tissue, salvaged some of the patient's cells, and grew the cells in a lab around a bladder-shaped mold. The new technique paves the way for research to grow other organs and may someday eliminate the need for organ donation.

It has also made a difference to recipients of the "homegrown" bladder: "Before the surgery, I was self-conscious" of symptoms like leakage, says Kaitlyne. "Kids now want to get to know me better and are nice to me."