Researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London reported in Nature Biotechnology the successful engineering, implantation and functional integration of an autologous, lab‑grown esophageal segment in growing minipigs. Teams decellularized donor pig esophagi, repopulated scaffolds with autologous pericyte‑like myogenic precursors and fibroblasts, and replaced a 2.5‑cm circumferential segment. Animals regained swallowing function without immunosuppression, marking a major preclinical step toward personalized regenerative options for infants with long‑gap esophageal atresia.