En 2008, foille transplantada a traquea a unha muller en Barcelona utilizando unha traquea de cadáver á que lle foron eliminadas as células e substituídas por células derivadas de [[célula nai|células naisnai]] da paciente para evitar o rechazo.<ref>{{Cita novas| url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/26/year.review.health/index.html | work=CNN | title=The top health stories of 2008 - CNN.com | date=2008-12-26 | accessdate=2010-05-27}}</ref> En 2011, un equipo de cirurxiáns liderados polo profesor Paolo Macchiarini do hospital da Universidade Karolinska realizaron o primeiro transplante dunha traquea sintética a un home de 36 anos.<ref>{{Cita novas| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14047670 | date=2011-07-07 | accessdate=2011-07-07 | work=BBC News | title=Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant}}</ref><ref>[http://www.karolinska.se/en/OM/press-nyheter/nyhetslista/First-Successful-Transplantation-of-a-Synthetic-Tissue-Engineered-Windpipe-/ First Successful Transplantation of a Synthetic Tissue Engineered Windpipe] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20120903220512/http://www.karolinska.se/en/OM/press-nyheter/nyhetslista/First-Successful-Transplantation-of-a-Synthetic-Tissue-Engineered-Windpipe-/ |date=03 de setembro de 2012 }}. Karolinska University Hospital website, retrieved 8/7/2011.</ref>
