根據最新一期的臨床研究期刊(Clinical Investigation)，英國劍橋大學的研究人員，已經從人類的皮膚幹細胞培養出肝臟細胞，未來可望將這些健康的肝細胞，移植到病患的肝臟，以修復因為肝硬化、肝癌而受損的肝臟。
研究人員是從7名罹患不同的遺傳性肝病的患者身上，擷取皮膚活組織樣本，再從3名健康患者取得同樣的組織樣本，混入幹細胞中，加以重組。幹細胞原本就可以有效的長出身體各部份器官或組織的細胞。
根據這項發現，這是首度將幹細胞培養出來的肝細胞，用來修復一系列的肝臟疾病。一般而言，要在實驗室培養出肝細胞，具有更高的困難度。
主持這項研究的劍橋大學幹細胞研究中心教授瓦利爾(Ludovic Vallier)表示，這項研究為幹細胞研究跨出重要的一大步。
Scientists create liver cells from patients' skin
For their study, Rashid's team took skin samples from seven patients who were suffering from a variety of inherited liver diseases, and three from healthy people to act as comparisons.
They then reprogrammed cells from the skin samples into a kind of stem cell called induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, and then reprogrammed them to generate liver cells which mimicked the broad range of liver diseases in the patients they had come from. They used the same technique to create "healthy" liver cells from the comparison group.
Stem cells are the body's master cells and scientists are trying to find ways to use them to grow new organs, repair damaged hearts or severed spinal cords, or replace brain cells destroyed by strokes, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
"Previously we have never been able to grow liver cells in the laboratory, so this should open up a whole new sphere of research," Rashid said.
Commenting on the study, Mark Thursz, a specialist in liver disease at Imperial College in London, said it was a major step which may in future be a potential source of new liver cells for patients with liver failure.
Research work using human embryonic stem cells was thrown into doubt on Monday after a district court issued a preliminary injunction halting federal funding for it.
