Frontier Technology - Liver in a Dish

Associate Professor Geraldine Mitchell and PhD student Dr Kiryu Yap are working on creating liver tissue in a dish, as described in a special Frontiers edition of Research Australia's 'Inspire' magazine.

Liver disease is more common in Australia than is generally recognised, with transplantation the only treatment available for advanced liver disease. Due to the high wait time for a donation, many patients die before they can get a transplant.

Associate Professor Geraldine Mitchell and colleague Professor Wayne Morrison, at the O’Brien Institute Department at St Vincent’s Institute, are working on a project that uses stem cells to grow liver tissue in a dish, ultimately aiming to use the “mini-liver”, or organoid, as a source of tissue for transplantation. Liver organoids also provide potential opportunities to test relevant drugs and better understand liver disease.

This work would not be possible without the involvement of a multidisciplinary team, including Surgical Fellow and PhD student, Dr Kiryu Yap, who, with the consent of patients, attends surgeries to harvest a small sample of healthy liver tissue, from which he grows the organoids.

Geraldine and Kiryu describe the team’s incredible research in a special Frontiers edition of Research Australia's Inspire magazine, released on 24 Sept. Read more about Frontiers research advances that are unlocking Australia’s potential in healthcare.

To learn more about Geraldine’s research, visit the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research website.

Associate Professor Geraldine Mitchell and Dr Kiryu Yap are members of the Centre for Stem Cell Systems.

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A/ Prof Geraldine Mitchell