New method found for growing liver cells outside the body

A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way of successfully growing liver cells outside the body.

Researchers have identified a dozen chemical compounds that can help hepatocytes to maintain their normal function when grown in a lab dish, while also multiplying to produce new tissue.

Further studies will build on this discovery by embedding the treated liver cells on polymer tissue scaffolds and implanting them in mice to see if they can be used as replacement liver cells.

The MIT scientists also recently found a way of embedding preformed cords of endothelial cells into the tissue of recipients, helping their bodies to grow blood vessels to supply the transplanted material with oxygen and nutrients.

Such discoveries will facilitate ongoing efforts to create functioning artificial livers.

MIT engineer Sangeeta Bhatia said: "These papers offer a path forward to solve two of the long-standing challenges in liver tissue engineering."

According to NHS data, there are more than 100 types of liver disease, which collectively affect at least two million people in the UK.