Inside each of the wells of this dish (below) are organoids, miniature human organs — in this case, bile ducts. As small as a pinhead, these are fully working versions of real bile ducts, which play a key role in liver function and digestion. With younger patients, typically the cause is that they were born ­without bile ducts; in adults, they can become damaged by inflammation. It is also ­possible to make ­artificial versions of stem cells, although it’s a slower process. ‘You take any human cells — such as cells from a hair shaft.

Source: Daily Mail July 19, 2021 21:32 UTC