Scientists have successfully grown penises in a laboratory and say they could be tested on humans within five years.

The organs would be used to help men who have suffered a serious injury to the region, had surgery for cancer or are suffering from a congenital abnormality.

The work is being carried out the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, North Carolina.

Scientists there are now assessing engineered penises for safety, function and durability, The Guardian reports.

It is hoped the US Food and Drug Administration will give the green light for testing on humans within five years.

Earlier this year, the same team of researchers declared they had successfully grown vaginas in a laboratory and implanted them into four teenage patients.

The new organs were given to women born with MRKH - Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare genetic condition in which the vagina and uterus are underdeveloped or absent.