It’s the stuff sci-fi films are made of: growing replacement organs for the ones that no longer work. A group of researchers and doctors in the Netherlands are working on just that, albeit on a tiny scale. Dr. Hans Clevers of the Hubrecht Institue pioneered a method of growing a “mini-gut” from a patient’s own cells and using that mini-gut to test if an expensive cystic fibrosis treatment would work. His theory was that if it worked on the tiny version, it would work on the real thing. And so far, he’s right. The mini-gut only costs a fraction of what the drug therapy does, avoiding unnecessary and costly treatment that may not work on a patient. And this technique can be used for other organs, as well. U.S. researchers are growing mini-livers. Australia researchers are growing mini-kidneys. And in the U.K., they are even growing mini-brains. All to let doctors try treatments on real (though tiny) versions of actual human organs.

This November, we recognize heroes like William “Bill” Myers in honor of both Veteran's Day and National Family Caregiver Month. In addition to serving our country in the Navy, Bill serves as a caregiver for his wife, Mary, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004.