A Mouse Grows Ears and Noses for Humans

It looks like a creature that got all mixed up going through Jeff Goldblum’s transporters in his version of the 1986 movie, The Fly.

But some of the most far reaching work by plastic surgeon researchers use hairless mice to grow human ears and noses. (NOTE: This is NOT PhotoShop. These are genuine scientific data!)



Scientists are asked to tip-toe around this lab mouse that is extremely sensitive to loud noise, thanks to the size of his extra ear.

Why do this at all? Some children are born without ears. Plus, new artificial noses are used for accident victims and, well, frankly, for people who have unwisely had too much plastic surgery on their snoozes. (Are you paying attention, Jacko?)

The best part is that the host mouse lives on once the new ear is removed from its back and sewn onto a human. The research takes place at the University of Massachusetts. Read more about how scientists grow human ears for donation on mice.