Hepatocytes injected into lymph nodes

Regenerative medicine researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s McGowan Institute have grown functional liver organoids in the lymph nodes of pigs.  “To mimic human liver disease in pigs, the researchers diverted the main blood supply from the liver, and at the same time, they removed a piece of healthy liver tissue and extracted the hepatocytes. Those liver cells were then injected into the abdominal lymph nodes of the same animal they came from.  All six pigs showed a recovery of liver function, and close examination of their lymph nodes revealed not only thriving hepatocytes, but also a network of bile ducts and vasculature that spontaneously formed among the transplanted liver cells.”     MORE

Image Credit:  UPMC