Liver-like Tissue Grown in the Lab
A team of Japanese scientists from Yokohama City University reported that they have induced stem cells to form functional liver-like tissue in a petri dish. Takanori Takebe, one of the scientists, reported this during the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Yokohama last week.
The team placed induced pluripotent stem cells on a specialized growth medium for nine days. They analyzed the cells and found that they contained a biochemical marker of maturing liver cells known as hepatocytes. Takebe added two more types of cell that would help recreate organ-like function. After two days, the cells assembled into a tissue which they called a liver bud because it resembles the early developmental stage of a liver.
The team has a lot of work to do but their initial results are promising. If the team becomes successful in their study, the findings could lead to big clinical advancements.
Read more at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rudimentary-liver-grown-in-lab.
This article is part of the Crop Biotech Update, a weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
View Crop Biotech Update (
June 29, 2012
) Newsletter
Subscribe to Crop Biotech Update Newsletter
Crop Biotech Update Archive
Crop Biotech Update RSS
Biofuels Supplement RSS
