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Injectable 'Mini-Livers' Show Potential as Alternative to Transplants in Lab Tests
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created an injectable system that grows functional mini livers inside the body. The new method could offer a less-invasive alternative to organ transplants for individuals with chronic liver failure.
For individuals suffering from chronic liver failure, a donor organ transplant is frequently the only potential cure. A severe shortage of donor organs, combined with the physical demands of major surgery, can leave many without viable options. MIT engineers have developed a method of injecting liver cells with protective gel particles to create functional satellite livers. The team combined human liver cells with water-based gel spheres that can be injected via standard syringe. Once injected into tissue, the mixture forms a stable structure. Doctors can use ultrasound to guide the injections into areas such as belly fat, leaving the diseased liver untouched.
Key Facts
- The injected gel spheres foster an internal environment which encourages blood vessels to grow into the new cell cluster.
- The vessels supply oxygen and nutrients for the liver cells to survive.
- During two-month laboratory tests on mice, the satellite livers produced essential liver proteins and enzymes.
- The new procedure may eliminate the need for major transplant surgery.
- The new method offers a less invasive alternative of injecting healthy replacement cells.
- The injected cells typically scatter and die without a physical structure to anchor them.
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Research Sources
- Notebookcheck — Injectable mini livers show promise as transplant alternative after successful test