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Chinese scientists have discovered a small molecule which can regenerate the tissue and could make organ transplant much easier in future, official media reported today.
The research was led by professor Zhou Dawang and Deng Xianming of the School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, and professor Yun Caihong of Peking University.
Zhou said they have discovered a drug, XMU-MP-1, which can promote repair and regeneration in the liver, intestines and skin, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In the future, the pills may do away the need for organ transplant or complex biomaterial and cell therapies, he said.
Zhou and his colleagues specifically targeted a critical signalling molecule in the Hippo pathway, which controls organ size.
The XMU-MP-1 has proven to inhibit the activity of MST1/2, the central component of this pathway and promote cell growth in four different mouse models of acute and chronic injuries, including acetaminophen-induced injury, which is a common cause of liver failure worldwide.
Zhou said they have applied for a patent and are cooperating with pharmaceutical companies to produce the medicine.
The findings were published in the latest edition of Science Translational Medicine on August 17.
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