Researchers led by Professor Sangeeta Bhatia from MIT have developed a groundbreaking technology that may transform the treatment landscape for individuals suffering from chronic liver disease. This innovative approach holds significant promise for the thousands of patients awaiting organ transplants or those too frail to undergo surgical procedures. By focusing on the core functional units of the liver, known as hepatocytes, Bhatia’s team aims to circumvent the need for full organ transplants.
The technique involves injecting functioning hepatocytes along with hydrogel microspheres directly into the patient’s body. These specially designed microspheres serve a dual purpose: they help keep the hepatocytes clustered together and facilitate their integration with nearby blood vessels. The unique properties of these microspheres allow them to behave like a liquid during injection, enabling easy delivery through a syringe, while regaining their solid form once inside the body. According to MIT postdoctoral researcher Vardhman Kumar, this innovative delivery system provides the hepatocytes with a supportive environment, allowing them to establish connections with the host’s circulatory system more rapidly.
In preclinical trials conducted on mice, the injected hepatocytes were shown to remain viable for at least two months, successfully producing various enzymes and proteins typically synthesized by a healthy liver. Although the initial injections were administered into abdominal fat tissue, the potential exists for targeting other anatomical sites as well. Kumar notes that this technology could serve not only as a non-invasive alternative to liver surgery but also as a temporary solution to support patients awaiting donor organs. While immunosuppressive medication may be necessary to prevent rejection, ongoing research aims to enhance the hepatocytes’ ability to evade the immune response, potentially using the microspheres for localized delivery of immunosuppressants.
Source: Engineered “mini livers” could be injected as an alternative to transplantation via MIT Technology Review