by Institute of Science Tokyo – MedicalXpress –
As chronic liver disease becomes more widespread, researchers at Science Tokyo have developed a lab-grown organoid that replicates a regenerating liver, offering new hope for future treatments. The model recreates interactions between hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells, two cell types involved in liver repair and fibrosis. It provides a much-needed, human-based platform to study how liver scarring develops, how cells communicate during injury, and to test drugs that could halt or even reverse liver damage.
The human body has an extraordinary ability to heal. However, sometimes, the body’s repair system does more harm than good. This is the case with chronic liver disease, where repeated injury triggers cycles of damage and repair that, over time, lead to the overproduction of extracellular matrix (ECM).
