Researchers at Yale University in the United States have developed a functional “humanized” liver in living mice, which will help scientists identify human-specific mechanisms that regulate cholesterol levels and potentially treat chronic liver disease.
The results of the experiment were published in the journal Cell, and in an article the authors describe how they made human liver cells “speak their own language in living mice.”
Chronic liver diseases, such as alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cancer, affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 30% to 40% of the population is diagnosed with NAFLD.
However, studying liver disease in animal models has been difficult. A statement from the university detailed that mouse livers function differently than humans.
In this case, he adds, “Human cells and mouse cells speak different languages, but we’ve managed to get human liver cells to speak their own language in living mice,” says Richard said de Flavell.
read more: They reveal oldest, fastest-evolving moss may not survive climate change
They develop ‘humanized’ livers in mice to study liver disease
A team of scientists led by Eleanna Kaffe created an intact liver in a mouse model using progenitor stem cells and mature cells, called hepatocytes, from the human liver.
The humanized livers have a compact shape and have similar cellular functions to healthy human livers, the researchers said.
Cellular function of humanized liver can also be used to model human liver fibrosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The researchers found that the liver’s basic metabolism is controlled by the activity of endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels that supply the liver.
Humanized liver models are immediately available to pharmaceutical companies that want to assess the safety of experimental drugs aimed at treating chronic diseases, researchers say.
“However, our long-term goal is to find ways to predict, prevent and treat all liver diseases that significantly affect humans,” the authors note.
Information from EFE.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and don’t miss out on our content