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July 17, 2000 BRITISH RESEARCH MAY LEAD TO LIVER REPAIR BREAKTHROUGH British scientists have discovered cells within bone marrow that are capable of turning into liver tissue. The finding raises the prospect of regenerating the livers of cancer patients and may pave the way for new gene therapy treatments. Scientists already knew that pre-programmed stem cells in bone marrow are responsible for generating all kinds of blood cells. The new discovery shows that marrow stem cells can also turn into liver cells, and repair damaged livers. Researcher Professor Nick Wright, head of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's histopathology Unit, said: "We may be able to stimulate liver regeneration using cells from the patient's own bone marrow. "This would be particularly useful for patients whose livers have been damaged due to drug side effects, or through surgery to remove cancers that have spread to the liver, and where there is insufficient functioning liver remaining." He said livers which are defective, possibly because of a faulty gene, could one day be repaired using stem cells that have been given a working gene. Ultimately, it may be possible to regenerate a new liver using the patient's own stem cells. "In doing so, we would avoid problems with current liver transplants where the patient's body rejects the foreign organ," Prof Wright said. The work, reported in the journal Nature, was carried out in London by teams from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Imperial College School of Medicine and the Royal Free Hospital. The scientists conducted a genetic analysis of liver cells from female patients who had received bone-marrow transplants from male donors. Liver cells from male patients who had been given whole livers from female donors were also examined. Using a DNA probe that identifies male cells, the scientists found male liver cells in the female patients, indicating that male bone marrow stem cells had repopulated the liver. Copyright © Press Association 2000
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