Beijing: Scientists have successfully developed a liver tissue which closely mimics the complicated structure of the organ and could have a range of uses from transplants in patients suffering from liver failure to drug testing, says PTI.
Researchers from Northwest A and F University in China built a microfluidics-based tissue that copies the liver’s complex lobules, the organ’s tiny structures that resemble wheels with spokes.
They did this with human cells from a liver and an aorta, the body’s main artery.
In the lab, the engineered tissue had a metabolic rate that was closer to real-life levels than other liver models, and it successfully simulated how a real liver would react to various drug combinations. The liver serves a critical role in digesting food and detoxifying the body. But due to a variety of factors, including viral infections, alcoholism and drug reactions, the organ can develop chronic or acute problems.
