Source: Oregon Health & Science University
Date: February 25, 2013
Summary:
For decades scientists around the world have attempted to regenerate primary liver cells known as hepatocytes because of their numerous biomedical applications, including hepatitis research, drug metabolism and toxicity studies, as well as transplantation for cirrhosis and other chronic liver conditions. But no lab in the world has been successful in identifying and growing liver stem cells in culture -- using any available technique -- until now.
In the journal Nature, physician-scientists in the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, Ore., along with investigators at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Utrecht, Netherlands, describe a new method through which they were able to infinitely expand liver stem cells from a mouse in a dish.
In a previous Nature study, investigators at the Hubrecht Institute, led by Hans Clever, M.D, Ph.D., were the first to identify stem cells in the small intestine and colon by observing the expression of the adult stem cell marker Lgr5 and growth in response to a growth factor called Wnt. They also hypothesized that the unique expression pattern of Lgr5 could mark stem cells in other adult tissues, including the liver, an organ for which stem cell identification remained elusive.
In the current Nature study, Markus Grompe, M.D., study co-author, director of the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital; and professor of pediatrics, and molecular and medical genetics in the OHSU School of Medicine. Grompe and colleagues in the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute at OHSU Doernbecher used a modified version of the Clever method and discovered that Wnt-induced Lgr5 expression not only marks stem cell production in the liver, but it also defines a class of stem cells that become active when the liver is damaged.
The scientists were able to grow these liver stem cells exponentially in a dish -- an accomplishment never before achieved -- and then transplant them in a specially designed mouse model of liver disease, where they continued to grow and show a modest therapeutic effect.
Showing posts with label liver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liver. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, December 02, 2011
Scalable Amounts of Liver and Pancreas Precursor Cells Created Using New Stem Cell Production Method
Source: Wiley-Blackwell
Date: December 2, 2011
Summary:
Scientists in Canada have overcome a key research hurdle to developing regenerative treatments for diabetes and liver disease with a technique to produce medically useful amounts of endoderm cells from human pluripotent stem cells. The research, published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, can be transferred to other areas of stem cell research helping scientists to navigate the route to clinical use known as the 'valley of death'.
Date: December 2, 2011
Summary:
Scientists in Canada have overcome a key research hurdle to developing regenerative treatments for diabetes and liver disease with a technique to produce medically useful amounts of endoderm cells from human pluripotent stem cells. The research, published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, can be transferred to other areas of stem cell research helping scientists to navigate the route to clinical use known as the 'valley of death'.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
"STIMULATED" STEM CELLS STOP DONOR ORGAN REJECTION
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: October 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to stimulate a rat’s stem cells after a liver transplant as a means of preventing rejection of the new organ without the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. The need for anti-rejection medicines, which carry serious side effects, is a major obstacle to successful long-term transplant survival in people
With a combination of a very low, short-term dose of an immunosuppressive drug to prevent immediate rejection and four doses of a medication that frees the recipient’s stem cells from the bone marrow to seek out and populate the donor organ, the rats lived more than 180 days with good liver function despite stopping both drugs after one week. The researchers are also testing the method on other transplanted organs, including kidneys, in rats and other larger animals.
Essentially, the Hopkins scientists transformed the donor liver from a foreign object under attack by the rat’s immune system into an organ tolerated by the recipient’s immune system — all in a matter of three months from the date of transplant, they report.
The technique, if replicated in humans, could mark a major shift in the process of organ transplantation, the researchers say. An article describing the experiment appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
Date: October 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to stimulate a rat’s stem cells after a liver transplant as a means of preventing rejection of the new organ without the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. The need for anti-rejection medicines, which carry serious side effects, is a major obstacle to successful long-term transplant survival in people
With a combination of a very low, short-term dose of an immunosuppressive drug to prevent immediate rejection and four doses of a medication that frees the recipient’s stem cells from the bone marrow to seek out and populate the donor organ, the rats lived more than 180 days with good liver function despite stopping both drugs after one week. The researchers are also testing the method on other transplanted organs, including kidneys, in rats and other larger animals.
Essentially, the Hopkins scientists transformed the donor liver from a foreign object under attack by the rat’s immune system into an organ tolerated by the recipient’s immune system — all in a matter of three months from the date of transplant, they report.
The technique, if replicated in humans, could mark a major shift in the process of organ transplantation, the researchers say. An article describing the experiment appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Scientists turn liver cells directly into neurons with new technique
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: October 7, 2011
Summary:
Fully mature liver cells from laboratory mice have been transformed directly into functional neurons by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The switch was accomplished with the introduction of just three genes and did not require the cells to first enter a pluripotent state. It is the first time that cells have been shown to leapfrog from one fundamentally different tissue type to another.
The accomplishment extends previous research by the same group, which showed in 2009 that it is possible to directly transform mouse fibroblasts, or skin cells, into neurons. The cells make the change without first becoming a pluripotent type of stem cell — a step long thought to be required for cells to acquire new identities.
The research is published online Sept. 29 in Cell Stem Cell.
Date: October 7, 2011
Summary:
Fully mature liver cells from laboratory mice have been transformed directly into functional neurons by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The switch was accomplished with the introduction of just three genes and did not require the cells to first enter a pluripotent state. It is the first time that cells have been shown to leapfrog from one fundamentally different tissue type to another.
The accomplishment extends previous research by the same group, which showed in 2009 that it is possible to directly transform mouse fibroblasts, or skin cells, into neurons. The cells make the change without first becoming a pluripotent type of stem cell — a step long thought to be required for cells to acquire new identities.
The research is published online Sept. 29 in Cell Stem Cell.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Adult Stem Cells Take Root in Livers and Repair Damage
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. The work, published in the May 11 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that liver cells derived from so-called "induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)" could one day be used as an alternative to liver transplant in patients with serious liver diseases, bypassing long waiting lists for organs and concerns about immune system rejection of donated tissue.
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. The work, published in the May 11 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that liver cells derived from so-called "induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)" could one day be used as an alternative to liver transplant in patients with serious liver diseases, bypassing long waiting lists for organs and concerns about immune system rejection of donated tissue.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Researchers Engineer Miniature Human Livers in the Lab
Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Date: October 30, 2010
Summary:
Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in the lab. They are the first to use human liver cells to successfully engineer miniature livers that function – at least in a laboratory setting – like human livers. The next step is to see if the livers will continue to function after transplantation in an animal model.
The ultimate goal of the research, which will be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston, is to provide a solution to the shortage of donor livers available for patients who need transplants. Laboratory-engineered livers could also be used to test the safety of new drugs.
Date: October 30, 2010
Summary:
Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in the lab. They are the first to use human liver cells to successfully engineer miniature livers that function – at least in a laboratory setting – like human livers. The next step is to see if the livers will continue to function after transplantation in an animal model.
The ultimate goal of the research, which will be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston, is to provide a solution to the shortage of donor livers available for patients who need transplants. Laboratory-engineered livers could also be used to test the safety of new drugs.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Liver cells created from patients’ skin cells
Source: University of Cambridge
Date: 25 August 2010
Summary:
By creating diseased liver cells from a small sample of human skin, scientists have for the first time shown that stem cells can be used to model a diverse range of inherited disorders. The University of Cambridge researchers' findings, which will hopefully lead to new treatments for those suffering from liver diseases, were published today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
...By replicating the organ's cells, researchers can not only investigate exactly what is happening in a diseased cell, they can also test the effectiveness of new therapies to treat these conditions. It is hoped that their discovery will lead to tailored treatments for specific individuals and eventually cell-based therapy - when cells from patients with genetic diseases are 'cured' and transplanted back. Additionally, as the process could be used to model cells from other parts of the body, their findings could have implications for conditions affecting other organs.
Date: 25 August 2010
Summary:
By creating diseased liver cells from a small sample of human skin, scientists have for the first time shown that stem cells can be used to model a diverse range of inherited disorders. The University of Cambridge researchers' findings, which will hopefully lead to new treatments for those suffering from liver diseases, were published today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
...By replicating the organ's cells, researchers can not only investigate exactly what is happening in a diseased cell, they can also test the effectiveness of new therapies to treat these conditions. It is hoped that their discovery will lead to tailored treatments for specific individuals and eventually cell-based therapy - when cells from patients with genetic diseases are 'cured' and transplanted back. Additionally, as the process could be used to model cells from other parts of the body, their findings could have implications for conditions affecting other organs.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Merlin Protein Found to Control Liver Stem Cells, Prevent Tumor Development
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
Date: August 12, 2010
Summary:
A protein known to be involved in a rare hereditary cancer syndrome may have a role in the regulation of liver stem cells and the development of liver cancer. In the August 15 issue of Genes & Development, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team describes finding that the protein called merlin, encoded by the NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) gene, controls the activity of adult stem cells that give rise to the two major types of liver cells.
Date: August 12, 2010
Summary:
A protein known to be involved in a rare hereditary cancer syndrome may have a role in the regulation of liver stem cells and the development of liver cancer. In the August 15 issue of Genes & Development, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team describes finding that the protein called merlin, encoded by the NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) gene, controls the activity of adult stem cells that give rise to the two major types of liver cells.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Researchers develop functional, transplantable rat liver grafts
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
Date: June 13, 2010
Summary:
A team led by researchers from the Center for Engineering in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has developed a technique that someday may allow growth of transplantable replacement livers. In their report that will be published in Nature Medicine and is receiving early online release, the investigators describe using the structural tissue of rat livers as scaffolding for the growth of tissue regenerated from liver cells introduced through a novel reseeding process.
Date: June 13, 2010
Summary:
A team led by researchers from the Center for Engineering in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has developed a technique that someday may allow growth of transplantable replacement livers. In their report that will be published in Nature Medicine and is receiving early online release, the investigators describe using the structural tissue of rat livers as scaffolding for the growth of tissue regenerated from liver cells introduced through a novel reseeding process.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The mouse with a human liver: a new model for the treatment of liver disease
Source: Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Date: February 22, 2010
Summary:
LA JOLLA, CA—How do you study—and try to cure in the laboratory—an infection that only humans can get? A team led by Salk Institute researchers does it by generating a mouse with an almost completely human liver. This "humanized" mouse is susceptible to human liver infections and responds to human drug treatments, providing a new way to test novel therapies for debilitating human liver diseases and other diseases with liver involvement such as malaria. Mice whose own liver cells have been replaced with human hepatocytes (shown in green) can be successfully infected with Hepatitis B virus (shown in red) providing a new way to test novel therapies for debilitating human liver diseases. The Salk researchers' findings will be published in the Feb. 22, 2010 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: February 22, 2010
Summary:
LA JOLLA, CA—How do you study—and try to cure in the laboratory—an infection that only humans can get? A team led by Salk Institute researchers does it by generating a mouse with an almost completely human liver. This "humanized" mouse is susceptible to human liver infections and responds to human drug treatments, providing a new way to test novel therapies for debilitating human liver diseases and other diseases with liver involvement such as malaria. Mice whose own liver cells have been replaced with human hepatocytes (shown in green) can be successfully infected with Hepatitis B virus (shown in red) providing a new way to test novel therapies for debilitating human liver diseases. The Salk researchers' findings will be published in the Feb. 22, 2010 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Scientists develop novel method to generate functional hepatocytes for drug testing
Source: University of Edinburgh
Date: October 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have for the first time produced liver cells from adult skin cells using the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. The study, led by the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, paves the way for the creation of a stem cell library that can be used for in vitro hepatic disease models.
Presently primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are the 'gold standard' cell type used in predictive drug toxicology. These cells are derived from dead or donor tissue. The cells can only survive for three to five days and do not have the ability to multiply. PHH cells are therefore a scarce and expensive resource. This study shows an alternative way of sourcing hepatocytes, by creating hepatic endoderm using the iPSC technology and then differentiating it into hepatocytes.
Date: October 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have for the first time produced liver cells from adult skin cells using the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. The study, led by the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, paves the way for the creation of a stem cell library that can be used for in vitro hepatic disease models.
Presently primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are the 'gold standard' cell type used in predictive drug toxicology. These cells are derived from dead or donor tissue. The cells can only survive for three to five days and do not have the ability to multiply. PHH cells are therefore a scarce and expensive resource. This study shows an alternative way of sourcing hepatocytes, by creating hepatic endoderm using the iPSC technology and then differentiating it into hepatocytes.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Researchers pave the way for effective liver treatments
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: October 9, 2009
UCSD researchers have developed a novel high-throughput cellular array technology that is being used to assess the complex relationships between hepatic stellate cells and components of their microenvironment.
A combination of bioengineering and medical research at the University of California, San Diego has led to a new discovery that could pave the way for more effective treatments for liver disease.
In this work, the researchers have utilized an array system that can identify the biological components that can lead to or alleviate liver disease. The technology works by controlling the range of environments surrounding star-shaped liver cells called hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs are the major cell type involved in liver fibrosis, which is the formation of scar tissue in response to liver damage. The activated stellate cell is responsible for secreting collagen that produces a fibrous scar, which can lead to cirrhosis.
Current approaches to identify the factors affecting HSC biology typically focus on each factor individually, ignoring the complex cross-talk between the many components acting on the cells. The high-throughput cellular array technology developed by UCSD researchers systematically assesses and probes the complex relationships between hepatic stellate cells and components of their microenvironment. By doing this, they found that certain proteins are critical in regulating HSC activation and that the proteins influence one another's actions on the cells. The findings were published in a paper entitled "Investigating the role of the extracellular environment in modulating hepatic stellate cell biology with array combinatorial microenvironments" in the September 2009 issue of Integrative Biology.
Date: October 9, 2009
UCSD researchers have developed a novel high-throughput cellular array technology that is being used to assess the complex relationships between hepatic stellate cells and components of their microenvironment.
A combination of bioengineering and medical research at the University of California, San Diego has led to a new discovery that could pave the way for more effective treatments for liver disease.
In this work, the researchers have utilized an array system that can identify the biological components that can lead to or alleviate liver disease. The technology works by controlling the range of environments surrounding star-shaped liver cells called hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs are the major cell type involved in liver fibrosis, which is the formation of scar tissue in response to liver damage. The activated stellate cell is responsible for secreting collagen that produces a fibrous scar, which can lead to cirrhosis.
Current approaches to identify the factors affecting HSC biology typically focus on each factor individually, ignoring the complex cross-talk between the many components acting on the cells. The high-throughput cellular array technology developed by UCSD researchers systematically assesses and probes the complex relationships between hepatic stellate cells and components of their microenvironment. By doing this, they found that certain proteins are critical in regulating HSC activation and that the proteins influence one another's actions on the cells. The findings were published in a paper entitled "Investigating the role of the extracellular environment in modulating hepatic stellate cell biology with array combinatorial microenvironments" in the September 2009 issue of Integrative Biology.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Liver cells grown from patients' skin cells
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: October 8, 2009
Summary:
Scientists at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have successfully produced liver cells from patients' skin cells opening the possibility of treating a wide range of diseases that affect liver function. The study was led by Stephen A. Duncan, D. Phil., Marcus Professor in Human and Molecular Genetics, and professor of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, along with postdoctoral fellow Karim Si-Tayeb, Ph.D., and graduate student Ms. Fallon Noto.
Date: October 8, 2009
Summary:
Scientists at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have successfully produced liver cells from patients' skin cells opening the possibility of treating a wide range of diseases that affect liver function. The study was led by Stephen A. Duncan, D. Phil., Marcus Professor in Human and Molecular Genetics, and professor of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, along with postdoctoral fellow Karim Si-Tayeb, Ph.D., and graduate student Ms. Fallon Noto.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Stem Cells with Potential to Regenerate Injured Liver Tissue Identified
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy. For the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine led by Linda Greenbaum, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, have demonstrated that cells expressing the marker can differentiate into both liver cells and cells that line the bile duct. In the future, this marker will allow for the isolation and expansion of these stem cells, which could then be used to help patients whose livers can no longer repair their own tissue.
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy. For the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine led by Linda Greenbaum, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, have demonstrated that cells expressing the marker can differentiate into both liver cells and cells that line the bile duct. In the future, this marker will allow for the isolation and expansion of these stem cells, which could then be used to help patients whose livers can no longer repair their own tissue.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Bone Marrow Alternative: Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord May Be Used To Treat Hepatic Diseases
Source: Universidad de Granada
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Advanced Cell Technology Demonstrates Efficient Generation of Functional Hepatocytes (Liver Cells) From Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Date: February 21, 2008
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported today for the first time a robust and highly efficient process for the generation of high-purity hepatocytes (liver cells). The research, described online (ahead of print) in the journal STEM CELLS, signifies a significant step towards the efficient generation of hepatocytes for use in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. (Click Here to link to the Paper) Moreover, the research represents another one of Advanced Cell Technology’s efforts aimed at the large-scale differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into critical replacement cell types.
Date: February 21, 2008
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported today for the first time a robust and highly efficient process for the generation of high-purity hepatocytes (liver cells). The research, described online (ahead of print) in the journal STEM CELLS, signifies a significant step towards the efficient generation of hepatocytes for use in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. (Click Here to link to the Paper) Moreover, the research represents another one of Advanced Cell Technology’s efforts aimed at the large-scale differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into critical replacement cell types.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Stem cells pave the way for safer drug screening
Source: University of Edinburgh
Date: 13 February 2008
Summary:
Scientists have generated human liver cells from embryonic stem cells that could be used to screen potentially harmful side-effects of drugs before they are trialled in patients. The research, led by the University of Edinburgh, focuses on certain enzymes within the liver cells that play a key role in processing drugs.
Date: 13 February 2008
Summary:
Scientists have generated human liver cells from embryonic stem cells that could be used to screen potentially harmful side-effects of drugs before they are trialled in patients. The research, led by the University of Edinburgh, focuses on certain enzymes within the liver cells that play a key role in processing drugs.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Discovery Of Good -- And Bad -- Liver Stem Cells Raises Possibility Of New Treatment
Source: Georgetown University
Date: February 5, 2008
Summary:
Many scientists believe up to 40 percent of liver cancer is caused by stem cells gone wild – master cells in the organ that have lost all growth control. But, despite years spent looking, no one has ever found these liver “cancer stem cells” – or even normal stem cells in the organ. Until now. In the February 19, 2008 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center report discovering both types of stem cells, and by comparing their genetic “signatures,” they found evidence to suggest that a new type of experimental drug now being tested in other cancers might offer benefit in treating liver cancer.
Date: February 5, 2008
Summary:
Many scientists believe up to 40 percent of liver cancer is caused by stem cells gone wild – master cells in the organ that have lost all growth control. But, despite years spent looking, no one has ever found these liver “cancer stem cells” – or even normal stem cells in the organ. Until now. In the February 19, 2008 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center report discovering both types of stem cells, and by comparing their genetic “signatures,” they found evidence to suggest that a new type of experimental drug now being tested in other cancers might offer benefit in treating liver cancer.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Stem cell therapy 'could cut liver transplants'
Source: Daily Telegraph
Last Updated: 2:38am BST 26/09/2007
Summary:
The Daily Telegraph reports scientists have developed a new way to treat liver failure using stem cells:
"Scientists have discovered a new way of treating liver failure that could save the lives of thousands of patients on transplant waiting lists. The technique involves inserting stem cells into the damaged organ so that it is encouraged to repair itself and create new tissue. According to the researchers, the treatment will allow patients to live long enough for a new organ to found and could even enable the liver to completely heal itself so a transplant is no longer needed."
Last Updated: 2:38am BST 26/09/2007
Summary:
The Daily Telegraph reports scientists have developed a new way to treat liver failure using stem cells:
"Scientists have discovered a new way of treating liver failure that could save the lives of thousands of patients on transplant waiting lists. The technique involves inserting stem cells into the damaged organ so that it is encouraged to repair itself and create new tissue. According to the researchers, the treatment will allow patients to live long enough for a new organ to found and could even enable the liver to completely heal itself so a transplant is no longer needed."
Immune system modulation can halt liver failure in animals
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
Date: September 25, 2007
Summary:
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have a developed a totally new approach to treating liver failure – manipulating the immune response. If the results of the animal study can be applied in human patients, the approach may be able to keep patients alive until donor organs become available or to support liver function until the organ can regenerate itself, eliminating the need for a transplant. The findings are being reported in the journal PLOS One.
Date: September 25, 2007
Summary:
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have a developed a totally new approach to treating liver failure – manipulating the immune response. If the results of the animal study can be applied in human patients, the approach may be able to keep patients alive until donor organs become available or to support liver function until the organ can regenerate itself, eliminating the need for a transplant. The findings are being reported in the journal PLOS One.
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