THE man who grew a human ear on the back of a mouse has made a breakthrough that brings the prospect of an artificial liver much closer. He believes he has solved the problem of growing the complex networks of blood vessels that artificial organs would need to sustain themselves within the body.
Until now, researchers trying to build replacement body parts have been limited to making relatively simple tissue, such as thin sections of cartilage and skin. That’s because it has not been possible to grow the deep networks of blood vessels that organs need to stay alive. But…
