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Posted on Sep 22, 2002, 11 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A team of UK scientists have successfully turned pancreas cells into functioning liver cells - by accident. Study leader Dr David Tosh, described the feat as "molecular alchemy", and revealed that he and his team had discovered how to transform the cells by accident when they noticed that a synthetic hormone led pancreatic cells to change shape and produce a liver protein.
A team of UK scientists have successfully turned pancreas cells into functioning liver cells - by accident. Study leader Dr David Tosh, described the feat as "molecular alchemy", and revealed that he and his team had discovered how to transform the cells by accident when they noticed that a synthetic hormone led pancreatic cells to change shape and produce a liver protein. The discovery may provide doctors with a way of solving the problems of transplant organ shortages, by enabling scientists to grow replacement organs from the patient's cells, although such technology is a long way off. However, Tosh is confident that liver tissue created from the transformed cells could provide the pharmaceutical industry with an abundant supply of tissue for testing drugs
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 7th February 2002
