In early experiments, Dr. Lagasse found that injecting healthy liver cells into the lymph nodes of mice. The cells will proliferate and form a second small liver To take over the functions of a malfunctioning animal. The new liver has grown to 70% of his original liver. “What happened was that the liver grew to a certain size, and when it reached the level needed for normal function, it stopped growing,” Lagasse says.
At the University of Pittsburgh, Lagasse and his colleagues also tested this approach in pigs.in Research published in 2020, they found that pigs recovered liver function after injecting liver cells into abdominal lymph nodes. When scientists used miniature livers to examine lymph nodes, they found that a network of blood vessels and bile ducts had formed naturally. The more severe the damage to the pig’s original liver, the larger the second liver grew. This suggests that the pig’s body may be able to recognize healthy liver tissue and shift responsibility there.
“Lymph nodes are reproducible and fertile beds for regenerating a variety of tissues and organs in two different animal species,” said Abra Creasey, vice president of therapeutic development at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “What we’ve identified is remarkable,” said Abra Creecy, vice president of therapeutic development at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Company approach. “These findings suggest that such an approach could represent an alternative tissue source for patients suffering from organ failure.”
Elliott Tapper, a liver specialist at the University of Michigan, is also excited about the possibility of turning lymph nodes into new livers. “Even if the liver isn’t where it’s supposed to be, it still performs some liver function,” he says.
The most likely benefit of LyGenesis treatment is that it removes ammonia from the blood, he says. In end-stage liver disease, ammonia can build up and travel to the brain, causing confusion, mood swings, falls, and even comas. However, because the new small organ contains cell types other than liver cells, scientists do not believe it will be able to perform all the functions of a natural liver.
One big question is how many cells a human would need to grow a liver large enough to take over important functions like filtering blood and producing bile. In the LyGenesis trial, he will also inject three patients with her 50 million cells into a single lymph node. This is the lowest “dose”. If it seems safe, her second group of four people will inject her 150 million cells into her three different lymph nodes. The third group will get her 250 million cells in 5 lymph nodes. This means that within the lymph nodes he may have five mini livers growing.
The effects of treatment are not immediate. Hufford said it will likely take two to three months for the new organ to become large enough to take over some of the functions of the native liver. And, like organ donors, trial participants will need to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives to prevent their bodies from rejecting the donor cells.
If successful, this approach could offer a life-saving alternative to liver transplantation for some patients. “There will definitely be candidates interested in this type of intervention if it is proven to be effective and safe,” Tapper says.
