Research Could Eliminate Need for Kiwi Organ Donors

29 July, 2013

Dr. Klaus Platz - Research Could Eliminate Need for Kiwi Organ Donors

Hamilton transplant surgery expert Klaus Platz says new ground-breaking medical research could eventually eliminate the need for organ donors, helping desperate Kiwis avoid an agonising wait for a transplant.

A team of Japanese scientists recently grew the world’s first functional liver by transplanting a portion of liver grown from stem cells into mice.

Colorectal Fellow and Surgical Registrar of the Department of Surgery at Waikato Hospital, Klaus Platz, says the success of this experiment may boost the hope of Kiwis in need of a transplant in the future.

“This landmark discovery means that one day Kiwis may not be dependent on donors for transplants, which is a huge step forward. This would mean the NZ medical industry could offer a more optimistic future for Kiwis in a more secure and faster way, sparing them a potential emotional and physically challenging long wait,” he says.

“Kiwis suffering a range of conditions could face a much brighter future with the repair or replacement of damaged organs with tissue grown in the laboratory. Seeing this done for the first time with the liver will hopefully lead to this process being possible for all of the body’s organs,” says Platz.

The creation of a stem cell-grown liver is an optimistic move for the NZ medical profession, given that liver diseases can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle – an increasing problem among Kiwis, says Platz.

“This type of liver disease can evidently be avoided, and it is important for Kiwis to take note of this, given the ongoing dialogue around the rise of obesity. An excessive intake of fast food and a lack of exercise can lead to serious but preventable liver problems and development of liver cancer,” says Platz.

“The correction of this kind of problem through the transplant of a stem cell-grown liver would allow Kiwis to rectify the error more easily. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve seen in more than 25 years in the international medical field.”

Liver diseases can also be the result of family inherited diseases and metabolic diseases, he says.

The liver plays an important role in many bodily functions, from protein production and blood clotting to cholesterol, glucose and iron metabolism.

If the liver becomes diseased or injured, the loss of those functions can cause significant damage to the body, says German-born Platz.

Discovery of the stem cell-grown liver was made when Japanese researchers used the three types of cell that generate the liver in a human embryo to grow a tiny piece of tissue in a dish.

This was then grafted on to a mouse’s brain, where it hooked up to the blood supply and grew for at least two months.

Platz, who has devoted more than 20 years to research around such topics as transplant surgeries, says he hopes to see the discovery transform the way organ transplants are conducted for Kiwis in the coming years.

The research is still at a very early stage, but scientists say it may be ready for clinical trials within the next 10 years.

For more information on liver transplantation, visit a public education site on the topic www.klausplatz.co.nz

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