Engineered liver tissue expands after transplant
July 19, 2017
Researchers created small “SEEDs” of liver tissue (right) composed of aggregates of liver cells and connective tissue (shown under a fluorescence microscope in left and center images). Credit: Stevens et al., Science Translational Medicine (2017)
Many diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatitis, can lead to liver failure. More than 17,000 Americans suffering from these diseases are now waiting for liver transplants, but significantly fewer livers are available.
To help address that shortage, researchers at MIT, Rockefeller University, and Boston University have developed a new way to engineer liver tissue, by organizing tiny subunits that contain three types of cells embedded into a biodegradable tissue scaffold. In a study of mice with damaged livers, the researchers found that after being implanted in the abdomen, the tiny structures expanded 50-fold and were able to perform normal liver tissue functions.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-07-liver-tissue-transplant.html
