Miniature Liver Grown in Lab

By Christopher Walker
Nov 1 2010

Researchers announced this morning that they have grown a miniature liver in a laboratory setting using stem cells.

This is considered great news in the medical world as it proves that necessary organs will one day be manufactured putting aside the need for human donors.

However, the researchers have said that growing full size organs is still years away from development. But they also said that the importance of stem cells in medical research is highlighted through this new development.

The stem cell controversy is one that many are familiar with. Stem cells are harvested from human embryos, which virtually destroy the embryo once the harvesting is completed. This led to an all out ban on stem cell research under the hand of former President Bush.

However, President Obama lifted the ban on earlier created stem cell lines and once again allowed for federal funding to be used in stem cell research. Several scientists working on competing research challenged the funding in open court.

Obama did limit the scope of his ruling though. He ruled that only pre-existing stem cell lines could be funded and continued the ban on creating new lines of stem cells in laboratories that are funded by federal funds.

Nonetheless, the scientists have managed to create a new hope for those that are awaiting transplants all over the world. More often than not those that are suffering from organ failure succumb to disease or death long before a match can be found in the donor banks for a necessary organ.