Human liver made in the laboratory! Yes, a team of British University scientists have done just that — created a mini human liver of the size of a penny coin. It is indeed a major breakthrough in medical science.
This achievement, though is far from being useful for a transplant, is surely prove to be a giant leap for liver ailment-treatments. The liver was created from the blood in newborn babies’ umbilical cords. Placed in a NASA bio-reactor — recreating the atmosphere of weightlessness — the cells replicated faster in the absence of gravity. Chemicals and hormones then added to the stem cells caused the cells to become liver tissue.
Thus, the mini liver is formed! It can be used to test liver disease-related drugs. The artificial liver can also be used as a dialysis machine to keep the patient’s liver going till it heals itself or till a donor liver is available.
Pix courtesy: ZD Solutions, Earth Times
