Reprogrammed Cells Repair Damaged Livers

From Scientific American:

Cells taken from the tips of mouse tails and genetically reprogrammed to mimic mature liver cells can repair damaged livers. The ultimate goal of such studies is to use the same technique to reprogram human cells, reducing the need for liver transplants in patients with end-stage liver disease. Although the study in mice, published online today in Nature, is still far removed from the clinic, it does provide an important proof of concept: it is thought to be the first time that cells reprogrammed using a process called transdifferentiation - produced without passing through a stem-cell stage - have been shown to fix a damaged organ.

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