Circumcised men may soon be able to REGROW their foreskin

Some circumcised men are angry about being circumcised when they were young without their knowledge.

New technique could help increasing number of men angry they were given the procedure

Circumcised men may soon be able to undergo a procedure to re-grow their foreskin.

A U.S. company says it is close to developing a method that will allow men’s foreskins to regenerate – much like a salamander is able to re-grow a limb.

The procedure will help the growing number of men aggrieved about being circumcised before they had the capacity to consent to the procedure.

These men - who call themselves ‘intactivists’ - are becoming increasingly vocal with their outrage at being circumcised.

RE-GROWING A FORESKIN 

Regeneration is carried out by creating an extra-cellular matrix, a ‘skeleton’ for tissue which provides an attachment point for cells and makes human tissue 3D.

This extra-cellular matrix is then seeded with the appropriate layer of cells, in this case, stem cells that will grow into foreskin.

Foregen says it will draw together experts from the field to find a way to make men’s foreskin grow back.

It will start with experiments on animals with a view to progressing to trials on humans.

In 2013, the company had its first 'breakthrough' and was able to 'decellularize' bull foreskins - a process which marks the first step towards re-growing the bull’s foreskin.

An organ donation organisation has now given Foregen the permission to acquire human adult foreskins – and they will carry out the same experiments on these.

So far, while they may be close to regrowing foreskin tissue, it is unclear how they will regenerate peripheral nerves.

Writing on its website, Foregen said: ‘In the short term, we hope to fully regenerate human foreskins.

‘Once we have accomplished that, our goal is to advance onto human clinical trials as soon as it is safe to do so.’

It says the newly grown foreskin will be fully functioning, as the new tissue reintegrates itself in the body.

This means the body recognises it as its own tissue and will not reject it, as is the case for transplanted organs or grafted skin. 

It claims not only to be able to ‘re-grow’ the removed tissue, but it will also be fully functioning, restoring sensitivity.

Foregen, is a US non-profit organisation ‘founded to research and implement regenerative medical therapies for circumcised males’, its website says.

It points to research which found that circumcision leads to loss of sensation in the penis, as well as the potential for psychological damage.

The company, based in Italy, is researching techniques used in regenerative medicine, a branch of medicine which helps people re-grow tissue that has been lost by injury or disease.

Like salamanders, humans naturally have the ability to regenerate while developing in the womb. If a foetus loses a finger, it grows back without forming scar tissue.

It is not known why humans lose the ability to regenerate, but one theory is that the process of scarring – which prevents bleeding – was considered during human evolution to be more important.

Experts working in regenerative medicine have discovered ways of harnessing the ‘map of the body’ present in cells’ DNA, which allows any part of the body to be regrown, and to inhibit scarring.

So far, scientists and doctors have been able to partially regenerate living human hearts, vaginal tissue, breast tissue as well as fully regenerating bladders and the last joint of a human finger.

Scientists have also been able to regrow functioning penises in rabbits.

Regeneration is carried out by creating an extra-cellular matrix, a ‘skeleton’ for tissue which provides an attachment point for cells and makes human tissue 3D.

This extra-cellular matrix is then seeded with the appropriate layer of cells, in this case, stem cells that will grow into foreskin.

Foregen says it will draw together experts from the field to find a way to make men’s foreskin grow back.

It will start with experiments on animals with a view to progressing to trials on humans. 

In 2013, the company had its first 'breakthrough' and was able to 'decellularize' bull foreskins - a process which marks the first step towards re-growing the bull’s foreskin.

An organ donation organisation has now given Foregen the permission to acquire human adult foreskins – and they will carry out the same experiments on these.

So far, while they may be close to regrowing foreskin tissue, it is unclear how they will regenerate peripheral nerves.

Writing on its website, Foregen said: ‘In the short term, we hope to fully regenerate human foreskins.

‘Once we have accomplished that, our goal is to advance onto human clinical trials as soon as it is safe to do so.’

It says the newly grown foreskin will be fully functioning, as the new tissue reintegrates itself in the body.

This means the body recognises it as its own tissue and will not reject it, as is the case for transplanted organs or grafted skin.

CIRCUMCISION: THE ONGOING DEBATE

Medical experts are increasingly divided over whether circumcision should be performed

Circumcision has been practised for centuries, with the earliest evidence dating from the time of the pharaohs.

Yet it has become a highly controversial procedure, and one that stirs strong passions.

Late last year, the U.S. centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - America's leading public health organisation, recently issued draft guidelines recommending the procedure for all boys.

Experts there argued that circumcision protects against the risk of urinary tract infections in infants and sexually transmitted diseases in adulthood.

This may be because it reduces the risk of bacteria lodging within the foreskin and reduces the risk of tiny tears to the foreskin that become an entry point for infections.

The CDC guidelines also suggest that circumcision lowers the risk of men contracting herpes and the human papilloma virus, in turn protecting them against penile cancer - and cutting the risk of their passing the virus on to women, reducing their risk of cervical cancer.

The CDC concluded that 'the scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the risks of physical or mental harm that may be involved'.

Those in the 'no' camp say all this is based on flawed studies from Africa that have no relevance to Western populations. Furthermore it ignores research that shows no link between circumcision and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

Over the past five years, doctors' groups in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Iceland and Australia have spoken out against the procedure.

Their various national organisations have called for bans on the op unless it is needed on strictly medical grounds.

The Council of Europe recently passed a resolution condemning the practice as a 'violation of the physical integrity of children'.

It said circumcision can cause lifelong trauma, diminish sexual satisfaction and put children at risk of lasting physical damage.

And while the World Health Organisation advocates circumcision in regions with high levels of heterosexual HIV transmission - such as in Africa - it also warns that it can cause pain, excessive bleeding, excessive skin removal, scars and deformation. Last month, England's most senior family judge, Sir James Munby, said male circumcision involved 'significant harm'.