Bai et al.’s A synthetic biology-based device prevents liver injury in mice (2016), published in the Journal of Hepatology and located via PubMed search, presents a study where liver cells in mice were genetically engineered to detect excess levels of bile, which are an indicator of liver disease. Liver disease often goes undetected due to few physical warnings; however, the presence of excess bile can be an internal indicator. The experiment involved implanting engineered human cells into mice livers; these cells acted as a circuit that would detect excess bile. If detected, an artificial promoter would release a chemical known as a hepatocyte growth factor (Bai et al., 2016), which would effectively work to reduce the acid levels which were contributing to the excess bile. This would help slow or halt the spread of the injury within the mice. The liver system was selected due to the nature of liver disease being difficult to detect.
The experiment was successful; when the synthetic cells were introduced into the livers of the mice, those with signs of liver injuries had their injuries slowed or halted. The implications of this technology is that it can provide ways to detect injuries even before any symptoms are observed. Not only can injuries be detected, these synthetic cells can actively work toward reversing any potential damage. This has significant medical implications; if this technology is able to work in other systems, in can help work toward preventing and healing heart disease, detecting and treating cancers, and other progressive illnesses. The purpose of the genetically engineered cells is to essentially work as part of the immune system; these cells will detect abnormalities or disease, and then produce a preprogrammed response designed to heal the disease. This will not only cure various diseases, it will prevent them from occurring in the first place, or catch them during their initial stages.
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"Synthetic Biology: Preventing Liver Injuries in Mice".
- Bai, P., Ye, H., Xie, M., Saxena, P., Zulewski, H., Charpin-El Hamri, G., … & Fussenegger, M. (2016). A synthetic biology-based device prevents liver injury in mice. Journal of Hepatology, 65(1), 84-94. Accessible online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
