This past week, there was another instance of stem cell scientists creating hope. A team of stem
cell scientists in Yokohama, Japan has grown tiny pieces of human liver tissue using stem cells. When the liver pieces were transplanted into lab mice and attached to the animal’s blood supply; they became functional and started cleaning toxins from the blood. These findings are no doubt a major breakthrough for stem cell research across the globe.
In the field of regenerative medicine, this is the first instance of the production of a complex organ that responds to a recipient’s blood supply. Once again, no doubt, this is a true breakthrough for stem cell research.
The stem cell scientists from Yokohama University utilized skin cells from humans to yield pluripotent stem cells, which were then used as a base to grow the heralded liver pieces.
“To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the generation of a functional human organ from pluripotent stem cells,” said one of the researchers involved in the study, as reported in The Independent.
While this was a major step in the right direction for regenerative research, especially stem cell research, now we must take this accomplishment and convert it into usable results for human beings. We must build on this successful finding, and take it to the next level. We must use the time and energy these researchers expended to get to this point and propel it forward to start to address the current shortage of organs that is apparent in the world among other medical shortfalls.
Stem cell scientists, we can do this. I realized in reading about this discovery that it’s not enough for us to just create hope, we need to convert it into reality for those all over the world who need it. I am all in, please join me. Thank you to those researchers at Yokohama University for the inspiration to keep hoping and converting.
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