MIT develops injectable mini livers to support failing organs

MIT researchers created an injectable engineered tissue made from hepatocytes and hydrogel microspheres that produced liver proteins and remained viable in mice for at least eight weeks.

MIT engineers report an injectable engineered tissue designed to perform some liver functions while leaving the native organ in place. The work aims to address a shortage of donor livers and the many patients waiting for transplants. In early experiments in mice, the team delivered hepatocytes together with microscopic hydrogel spheres and supportive fibroblasts. The implants were guided and monitored with ultrasound and functioned in the animals for the length of the study. Key findings: - The researchers combined hepatocytes with hydrogel microspheres that flow during injection but re-form a solid structure once inside the body. - Adding fibroblasts helped the transplanted cells survive and encouraged new blood vessels to grow into the grafts. - In mice, the implanted tissue produced enzymes and proteins typical of liver cells and remained viable for at least eight weeks. - Ultrasound was used to guide injections into abdominal fat and to monitor implant stability over time. - The team reported the grafts could be placed in other sites such as the spleen or near the kidneys and could act as a bridge to transplantation. - At present, patients would likely need systemic immunosuppression; the researchers noted future possibilities such as cells engineered to evade immune rejection or localized immunosuppressant delivery. Summary: The study presents a laboratory demonstration of an injectable, cell-based graft that produced liver functions in mice and stayed functional for the study period. Researchers described this approach as a potential alternative or bridge to surgical transplant, and they indicated that further testing and development will be needed before clinical use; timelines were not provided.