Call Us! of the Birmingham University Stem Cell Centre said. “Many drugs fail to enter clinical practice because of unwanted interaction with the liver. If these drugs could be tested on functioning liver cells it would be a great advantage.” Another application could be in cell infusions, where functioning cells are harvested – currently from a donor – are introduced into another patient. Though not everyone supports this approach, Newsome says infusions can be a way of treating those who can’t undergo liver transplants or in children, for example. “Most people have cirrhosis, where the liver is damaged over many years and in time builds
scar tissue,” Newsome said. “With cirrhosis and more advanced liver damage, you can get improvement but it’s unlikely a liver will completely recover.” He said the MIT research has great potential, but creating whole organs could still be “a little way off”.
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Jo Adetunji Editor, Health & Medicine, The Conversation Originally published at The Conversation (theconversation. com/lab-grown-liver-cells-area-step-closer-to-treating-liverdisease-14914) and reprinted with permission.
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SEPTEMBER 2013 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS •
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