Medical Breakthrough Could Help Patients Awaiting Liver Transplant

The transformations of different cells within the body have been a big focus in the scientific world. With the rise in diseases such as cancer, scientists have been searching for ways to help cure patients who need extensive treatment. A new experiment could provide a path to a medical breakthrough.

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have found a way to transform skin cells into fully functional liver cells that can develop on their own. The experiment used mice in which the researchers used the transformed mouse skin cells to help repair liver damage. The most important aspect of the discovery is that the transformed skin cells can thrive on their own.

Past studies using stem cells to aid in repairing liver have shown that the new liver cells could not survive after being transplanted into the existing liver tissue. The research for this study revealed that the skin cells genes and chemical compounds could be reprogrammed to resemble endoderm cells - mature cells that are found in the liver as well as other major organs. Then, they discovered that a different set of genes and compounds could be transformed into functioning liver cells.

The study's lead author is Milad Rezvani, M.D., of UCSF and it was published in the journal Nature by Gladstone Senior Investigator Sheng Ding, Ph.D., and UCSF Associate Professor Holger Willenbring, M.D., Ph.D., where they officially unveiled their revelation of the cellular reprogramming method.

"The cells began to take on the shape of liver cells, and even started to perform regular liver-cell functions," said Rezvani in this Science Daily article. "They weren't fully mature cells yet -- but they were on their way."

As part of the experiment, the researchers decided to inject the early-stage liver cells into the livers of the mice to observe whether or not they would develop inside the liver. Two months after the cell transplant, the researchers observed that the new liver cells were maturing and properly functioning while showing no signs of debilitating.

The researchers hope that this experiment will act as a stepping-stone for others who are exploring similar topics. The authors of the study note that many questions remain, but the initial discoveries are very impactful. To read more about the Gladstone and UCSF study, visit this Science Daily article.