A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation revealed that liver cells can be formulated from the skin of patients with metabolic disorders by employing stem cell technology.

The research was conducted by scientists at Cambridge University and it is one of its own kinds of studies, examining the dysfunctionality caused in the liver cells due to some metabolic syndromes and testing the possible treatment of transplanting the new liver cells to rectify the same.

The scientists took the help of iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) technology, which undertakes converting the adult skin cells into an embryo like structure by giving the treatment of a chemical concoction. Afterwards, the embryo is again exposed to a number of chemicals that eventually turn into liver cells.

Scientists from Cambridge constructed liver cells from seven people who had certain metabolic ailments and three healthy controls. These liver cells were named as hepatocytes.

Tamir Rashid, the lead author, said, “We know that, given the shortage of donor liver organs, alternative strategies must urgently be sought. Our study improves the possibility that such alternatives will be found, either using new drugs or a cell-based therapeutic approach”.

The results are remarkable, as liver cells are hard to sustain in laboratory conditions. But, the cells developed by the Cambridge’s researchers can stay alive in laboratories that help them to examine more the liver diseases.

In Britain, every year a number of people give up their life to liver diseases. The study could be a blessing for many of them who are suffering from such lethal ailments.