31 October 2006 - Liver cells grown from umbilical cords

A team of UK scientists at Newcastle University have grown small sections of human liver, using stem cells from umbilical cords. Whilst it will probably be decades before a  grown liver can be used in a human transplant operation, these small sections of liver (less than the size of a penny) could be used to treat patients within the next 10 -15 years.

Professor Ian Gilmore, a liver specialist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital commented on the significance of the team’s work:

"Firstly that they are able to do it from umbilical cord blood and not requiring embryos. That's quite a big ethical leap forward."

"And they are producing such a significant amount of tissue."

But he said: "We're a long way from producing a whole liver. The liver has its own blood supply, its own fibrous skeleton, they are just producing the individual liver cells.

"But nonetheless it is exciting because there is a real dearth of treatments available for people with liver disease.

"Many people are waiting for transplants. Anything that does give some hope, even "Many people are waiting for transplants. Anything that does give some hope, even over a 10-year period, is cause for celebration."