MIT Engineers Develop ‘Mini Livers’ That Can Be Injected Into the Body
Newsweek • • health
Key Points:
- Scientists at MIT have developed "mini livers" made of injected hepatocyte cells embedded in hydrogel microspheres that can perform key liver functions and remain viable in the body for at least two months.
- This injectable tissue graft could serve as a "satellite liver," providing booster liver function to patients with chronic liver disease without the need for surgical transplant.
- The hydrogel microspheres enable the hepatocytes to stay localized, form connections with blood vessels, and survive longer, supported by added fibroblasts to promote vascular growth.
- Ultrasound guidance allows precise injection and monitoring of the grafts, which can be implanted in various body sites such as fat tissue, spleen, or near the kidneys, as long as they have
