Stem Cells and the Cause Of Liver Cancers

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Scientists based in the United States have recently come to the conclusion that some stem cells found in the liver may cause nearly 50% of liver cancers when they are damaged or malfunction for a variety of reasons. While scientists have spent many years studying liver diseases and cancers, a recent study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states that such stem cells have been found for the first time.
This all came about when a transplant surgeon at Georgetown University Medical Center suggested that a research team look into stem cells that are donated in liver tissues that had been transplanted into patients suffering from various degrees of liver failure. The surgeon, Lynt Johnson, believed that such stem cells would be active in such tissues and would quickly regenerate new liver cells.

Following the idea, researchers obtained liver biopsies from half a dozen surgery patients within 120 days of transplantation, searching for the cells that produced the protein characteristics of stem cells. They were actually able to find a large number of healthy, normal stem cells in the tissue. Because of this study, researchers were able to determine that a characteristic protein missing from certain cells were responsible for causing the liver cancer.

Researchers realized that this protein, known as TGF -beta helps to prevent cells from mutating into damaged cells that multiply indiscriminately inform cancers. Such studies of researchers a definite direction in seeking potential cures for cancer.

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