The thing about the future that excites me the most, besides the talking monkeys and the sexy robots, is the cure for the hangover. Some mornings I wake up and I just want to pry out my liver with a spoon and get myself a new one – and thanks to the researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, that dream is a possibility.

Researchers at the Wake Forest University have engineered miniature livers that function – at least in a laboratory setting – like human livers. Miniature humans everywhere are delighted at this breakthrough, but the plan, apparently, is to eventually take this further and to grow human-sized livers, for humans.

Just think; you’re meeting with some bros for a braai, you knock back a couple of klippies, and suddenly you’re dying of liver failure. Don’t worry about it bru! We’ve got a spare liver in the freezer! Except then you find out that somebody put the spare liver on the braai by accident, with hilarious consequences.

Says project director Shay Soker;

“We are excited about the possibilities this research represents, but must stress that we’re at an early stage and many technical hurdles must be overcome before it could benefit patient. Not only must we learn how to grow billions of liver cells at one time in order to engineer livers large enough for patients, but we must determine whether these organs are safe to use in patients.”

Way to be a buzz-kill, Shay Soker.

[via The Institute of Regenerative Medicine]
[image source]