News Release

Paradigm shift: Chinese scientists transform "dispensable" spleen into universal regenerative hub

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Nanjing University School of Life Sciences

3D reconstructions of hepatocyte and fibroblast shielded islets (HFI).

image: 

3D reconstructions of hepatocyte and fibroblast shielded islets (HFI).

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Credit: Credited by Lei Dong/Nanjing University.

Dual Breakthroughs in Diabetes Cure and Organ Regeneration Redefine Medical Frontiers

 

NANJING, China – In a revolutionary one-two punch, Chinese research teams have successfully engineered the human spleen into a living bioreactor capable of curing diabetes and growing functional organs – achievements published back-to-back in Science Translational Medicine and Diabetes this month. This convergence of discoveries positions the long-underestimated spleen as a game-changing platform for regenerative medicine.

 

​The Spleen Solution: From Biological Filter to Life-Saving Factory

Once considered expendable, the spleen now emerges as the body’s ideal regenerative site thanks to three innate advantages:

Ample Real Estate: Porous structure hosts billions of transplanted cells

Nutrient Superhighway: Direct blood supply mimics natural organ development

Low-Risk Adaptability: Can be reprogrammed without disrupting vital functions

 

​Breakthrough #1: The "Living Shield" Diabetes Cure

(Published in Diabetes, Nanjing University-led)

Facing the 60% failure rate of conventional liver islet transplants, Prof. Dong Lei’s team developed a bio-hybrid defense system:

 

​"Invisibility Cloak": Coats insulin-producing islets with liver cells that evade blood’s destructive response

​"Survival Scaffold": Fibroblasts create instant infrastructure for cell growth

Results:

Diabetic mice maintained normal blood sugar for ​> 1 year – longest ever achieved

Required ​40% fewer donor cells – critical amid global organ shortages

"We’ve turned the spleen into a nurturing home for islets," said Prof. Dong.

Breakthrough #2: The Universal Bioreactor

(Published in Science Translational Medicine, multi-institutional team)

Taking the concept further, Profs. Dong Lei and Jian Xiao engineered nanoparticles to convert the spleen into a plug-and-play organ nursery:

Reprogramming Kit: Nanoparticles remodel spleen environment by:

Building extracellular matrix scaffolding

Accelerating blood vessel growth

Suppressing immune attacks

Landmark Achievement:

Human islets successfully matured in reprogrammed monkey spleens – a crucial step toward cross-species organ solutions.

 

​Proven Versatility: The Spleen’s Regeneration Portfolio

This platform has now regenerated multiple organs:

Liver functions in mice (Science Advances 2020)

Thyroid tissues in animal models (Advanced Science 2024)

​Human insulin production in primates (2025 breakthrough)

 

​Why This Changes Everything

"This isn’t just about diabetes," emphasizes Prof. Jian Xiao. "We’ve created a minimally invasive platform where patients could one day grow custom organs from their own cells." The approach’s advantages are transformative:

On-Demand Organs: Potential to grow patient-specific organs via iPSCs

No Major Surgery: B-ultrasound-guided delivery replaces invasive transplants

Solve Donor Shortages: Cross-species compatibility demonstrated

 

​The Road Ahead

As 537 million diabetes patients await cure, this radical spleen-based strategy proves a profound truth: ​"In discarded ground, grand purpose is found." – Redefining the overlooked organ into medicine's newest frontier.


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