All posts tagged: Livers

Therapy that turns lymph nodes into livers gets first human trial

Therapy that turns lymph nodes into livers gets first human trial

Published by skeptic

Solution with the hepatocytes (liver cells) in suspension LyGenesis For the first time, a person has received an experimental treatment to transform one of their lymph nodes into a functioning miniature liver. We won’t know for months whether the therapy works, but if it does, it could revolutionise the treatment of liver disease. “This is a technology that could, in just the next few years, potentially eliminate the wait list for liver transplants,” says Michael Hufford at LyGenesis, a biotechnology company in Pennsylvania. … Source link

This Bag of Cells Could Grow New Livers Inside of People

This Bag of Cells Could Grow New Livers Inside of People

Published by skeptic

In early experiments, Lagasse found that if he injected healthy liver cells into the lymph nodes of mice, the cells would flourish and form a second, smaller liver to take over the functions of the animal’s failing one. The new livers grew up to 70 percent of the size of a native liver. “What happened is that the liver grew to a certain size and then stopped growing when it reached the level necessary for normal function,” Lagasse says. At the University of Pittsburgh, Lagasse and his colleagues also tested the approach in pigs. In a study published in 2020, they found that pigs regained liver function after getting an injection of liver cells into an abdominal lymph node. When the scientists examined the lymph nodes with miniature livers, they found that a network of blood vessels and bile ducts had spontaneously formed. The more severe the damage in the pigs’ native liver, the bigger the second livers grew, suggesting the animals’ bodies may be able to recognize the healthy liver tissue and transfer responsibilities …

Papardelle with chicken livers recipe

Papardelle with chicken livers recipe

Published by skeptic

Chicken or duck livers make a great base for a pasta sauce, and they are affordable too. There is still a bit of a stigma around eating offal but it’s my favourite of all meats. The livers can be chopped as finely or as coarsely as you wish, and you can add ramsons, also known as wild garlic, to this when available, to give the pasta a seasonal touch. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 small shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed 300-350g chicken livers, cleaned and chopped into rough 3cm pieces 100ml Marsala 100ml chicken stock 400g pappardelle 60g butter 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley Parmesan, freshly grated, to serve Method Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy frying pan and gently cook 4 finely chopped small shallots and 2 finely chopped or crushed garlic cloves without colouring them. Turn up the heat.  Season 300-350g roughly chopped livers and add them to the pan, frying them …

Indigenous people sue radiologists over nonconsensual MRI scans of livers

Indigenous people sue radiologists over nonconsensual MRI scans of livers

Published by skeptic

Dozens of Indigenous people have brought a lawsuit against two radiologists in Canada, accusing them of conducting MRI scans without their consent as part of a secret scientific study of their livers. According to the lawsuit, 59 members of the Pictou Landing First Nation were subjected to invasive MRI scans between 2017 and 2018 for research purposes without their knowledge. The complaint was first filed to Nova Scotia’s Supreme Court in June 2020 and certified as a class-action lawsuit this month. In their suit, the plaintiffs evoked Canada’s dark history of subjecting Indigenous people to nonconsensual experimentation, which they said was motivated by racism. According to the claim, Pictou Landing Chief Andrea Paul, the lead plaintiff, took part in a consensual MRI scan in March 2017 as part of a medical research project conducted by the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds at a research facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Instead of being withdrawn from the MRI machine when the scan finished, the suit alleged that Paul was unwittingly kept in the scanner as …

Fried duck eggs with devilled livers recipe

Fried duck eggs with devilled livers recipe

Published by skeptic

A good old fried egg is a great vehicle for all sorts of garnishes, both luxurious and humble. I remember once waiting for a seat at the vibrant Barcelona tapas bar El Quim de la Boqueria and studying the fried egg with foie gras and ceps that the guy right in front of me was snacking on. I put it on the menu at Le Caprice as soon as I got back to London. I don’t use foie gras these days but duck or chicken livers are just as good here, and they’re cheap and easy to get hold of. Timings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 5-10 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 250g duck or chicken livers, cleaned and cut into even-sized pieces 2-3 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 100g butter, cut into small pieces 4 small spring onions, halved lengthways and finely chopped 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 4 duck eggs Method Season the liver all over with some sea salt and the cayenne pepper.  Heat half the oil in a …