Scientists Grow Operational Livers from Skin Cells

A recent Good News Network article discussed a new development in organ generation. A team of  scientists at the University of Pittsburgh used skin cells to create small human livers, and then successfully transplanted them into rats. The team took adult skin cells and genetically altered specific genes and transcription factors to make “pluripotent stem cells,” which can develop into liver cells. The method could also be used to create “part-time liver grafts,” which could prolong the lives of people on the transplant waiting list.