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OHSU Turns Mouse into Factory for Human Liver Cells

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the more-drugged-up-mice dept.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have figured out how to turn a mouse into a factory for human liver cells that can be used to test how pharmaceuticals are metabolized. The technique, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, could soon become the gold standard not only for examining drug metabolism in the liver, which helps scientists determine a drug's toxicity, but also can be used as a platform for testing new therapies against infectious diseases that attack the liver, such as hepatitis C and malaria.

9 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Won't somebody please think of the laptops? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Those of us with a touchpad or trackpoint seem to be out of luck.

  2. Downside... by Moraelin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Downside: after one of those treatments you'll have a craving for cheese and a fear of cats. Then again, for some people it might not be much of a difference ;)

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
    1. Re:Downside... by hcdejong · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's not so bad. It's the urge to take over the world that really causes problems.

    2. Re:Downside... by BakaHoushi · · Score: 2, Funny

      Egad, BRILLIANT hcdejong!

      Oh, wait, no, no... What if our Earth-conquering desires are constantly defeated by a combination of poor luck, gross incompetence, underestimating and overestimating the competence of the general public, and lack of communication? ...Troz!

  3. Good News for Hannibal Lecter by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now, if they'd just turn a rat into a factory for fava beans.

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    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  4. Booze by AkumaReloaded · · Score: 3, Funny

    So this means I can drink as much beer as I want without fearing liver damage, right?!!

    1. Re:Booze by DaveCar · · Score: 3, Funny


      I was hoping that might be the case too.

      You'll probably need to have a mouse grafted on under your right arm though :(

  5. Liver let die by dotslashdot · · Score: 3, Funny

    As they say, "Liver let die". Sorry.

  6. Am I the only one... by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...whose first thought was "Great, a spare liver on my desk."?

    I think it's not healthy that your first association with "mouse" is an input device and not a furry rodent. Guess it's time to check whether that yellow ball is still on top of that blue room.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.