PEOPLE on the waiting list for a liver transplant could be kept alive with
the help of an external artificial liver. A breakthrough claimed by a New
England company will allow the device to use human liver cells that keep on
growing, and remove waste products that accumulate in the blood.
Normally, almost all mammalian cells die within a few hours of leaving the
body. Cells that are forced to keep dividing grind to a halt and may commit
suicide. This is because telomeres, strands of DNA on the ends of chromosomes,
become so short that mistakes accumulate when the…
