Growing transplant-ready human livers in animals without lifelong immunosuppression
Generating Exogenic Organs for Transplantation without the Use of Immunosuppression
The project aims to produce human livers inside animals using gene editing and human stem cells so people who need liver transplants might receive organs that don't require lifelong immune-suppressing drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139484 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers plan to use gene-editing tools like CRISPR to alter animal embryos so that human pluripotent stem cells can grow into livers inside those animals. The approach involves injecting human stem cells into edited blastocysts to create animals that carry organs or hepatocytes derived from the human donor cells. The goal is to obtain transplantable human liver tissue that matches the donor cells and could reduce or eliminate the need for long-term immunosuppression. This work is done in animal labs and is an early-stage, preclinical effort that would take time before being used in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with end-stage liver disease (including alcoholic liver disease) who are awaiting liver transplant would be the eventual candidates for organs produced by this approach.
Not a fit: Patients needing an immediate transplant, those who would not accept animal-grown organs, or those with contraindications to xenotransplantation are unlikely to benefit in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could greatly expand the supply of transplantable livers and reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong immune-suppressing drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Related animal studies have produced donor-derived organs using blastocyst complementation and CRISPR, but making safe, transplant-ready human organs in animals for use in people remains experimental and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steer, Clifford John — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Steer, Clifford John
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.