Zeenews Bureau
Tokyo: Here is some good news for those in need of transplants. Researchers in Japan have created a functioning human liver from stem cells, said a report on Friday.
A team led by professor Hideki Taniguchi at Yokohama City University, successfully transplanted induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into a mouse’s head by taking advantage of the increased blood flow.
After that, the scientists noted that the iPS cells also known as “precursor cells” grew into a human liver of about five millimetres in size, and was capable of creating human proteins, as well as breaking down drugs.
This research is seen as a breakthrough raising hopes for the manufacture of artificial human organs, especially at the time when doctors are constantly facing shortages of organ transplant donors.
iPS cells were first discovered in 2006 by two teams, one each from the United States and Japan.
