Human Liver Created From Stem Cells In Mouse

Scientists have for the first time created a functional human liver from stem cells derived from skin and blood - suggesting organs could be grown in labs in another 10 years.

The research could alleviate an acute shortage of donor organs across the world for patients with liver, heart, kidney and other organ failure.

Japanese scientists, based at the Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, said they grew tissue "resembling the (human) adult liver" in a lab mouse.

The team used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are often taken from blood and skin, to make three different cell types that would normally combine in the natural formation of a human liver.

These were then mixed to see if they would grow into three-dimensional structures called "liver buds" - the precursor clusters that develop into a full liver organ.

The buds were then transplanted onto a mouse brain, where they were observed transforming into a "functional human liver" complete with blood vessels, the scientists wrote in the journal Nature.

"To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the generation of a functional human organ from pluripotent stem cells," said the report.

Takanori Takebe, who led the study, said the liver also performed certain human-specific liver functions - producing proteins and processing specific drugs.

He was so encouraged by the success of this work that he plans similar research on other organs such as the pancreas and lungs.

The technique has yet to be tested in humans, but serves as an important proof of concept, the report added.

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Human Liver Created From Stem Cells In Mouse