We’re getting closer to starfish! No but really, researchers are moving forward in the field of regenerative medicine, and can now create a urethra from cells grown in a lab.

Researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina say they have taken tissue from five boys with defective urethras, and made that tissue grow into tube-things that can then be inserted back into the boys. And this whole process was a success, says the L.A. Times.

This system of grafting the tissue into the body is known as a “tubularised urethra.” Researches say that these lab-grown device can remain in use for up to six years.

If you’re not sure where your urethra is or what it does, drink a gallon of water and see where it goes.

Urethras can now be made in the lab — and they work [L.A. Times]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.