Miniature Human Livers Grown In Lab 154
Zothecula writes "In the quest to grow replacement human organs in the lab, livers are no doubt at the top of many a barfly's wish list. With its wide range of functions that support almost every organ in the body and no way to compensate for the absence of liver function, the ability to grow a replacement is also the focus of many research efforts. Now, for the first time, researchers have been able to successfully engineer miniature livers in the lab using human liver cells."
Artificial hepatic function (Score:1, Insightful)
Replacing hepatic function is a wonderful thing, but in order to have the new livers not be rejected, they should either be grown from a small donation of the recipient, or have the primordial DNA blasted away in the donor cells, and have it replaced with DNA from the intended recipient. Lots of people have died from not having a functioning liver, and being able to replace a broken/dysfunctional one with a new one is serious big-time news.
How long can I keep being an alcoholic with this? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Miniature drinks? (Score:3, Insightful)
you just felt older at the time.
at 13 you felt far older than a 13 year old looks to you now.
plus it's the outlier which catch attention, not the norm.
things change.
people stay the same.
it's like how old people are convinced that the world was a safer place in their youth and the teenagers far more respectful.
Re:How much liver do we need to make a difference? (Score:3, Insightful)
You sir obviously do not live in a suburban coastal community.
Many people around here think of surgery as recreation.
Re:How much liver do we need to make a difference? (Score:3, Insightful)
Breathing room may work for lungs. Livers need living room.
Re:How much liver do we need to make a difference? (Score:1, Insightful)
Sir, not all liver disease or failure is due to moral failing. That said, would you let a self-harming addict die rather than use modern medicine and psychiatry to heal them? I could judge you for that, and not in a favorable fashion, sir.