British scientists grow human liver in a laboratory

Dr Nico Forraz (left) and Prof Colin McGuckin, (below) the tissue created in the lab is actually the size of a 1p piece

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British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant.

The technique that created the 'mini-liver', currently the size of a one pence piece, will be developed to create a full-size functioning liver.

Described as a 'Eureka moment' by the Newcastle University researchers, the tissue was created from blood taken from babies' umbilical cords just a few minutes after birth.

As it stands, the mini organ can be used to test new drugs, preventing disasters such as the recent 'Elephant Man' drug trial. Using lab-grown liver tissue would also reduce the number of animal experiments.

Within five years, pieces of artificial tissue could be used to repair livers damaged by injury, disease, alcohol abuse and paracetamol overdose.

And then, in just 15 years' time, entire liver transplants could take place using organs grown in a lab.

The development provides fresh hope for the hundreds of Britons in dire need of a new liver each year.

There are currently 336 patients waiting for a liver transplant - the type of operation performed on George Best. However, in 2004, 72 people died waiting for a suitable donor.

The liver tissue is created from stem cells - blank cells capable of developing into different types of tissue - found in blood from the umbilical cord.

Working in collaboration with experts from the US, the Newcastle scientists succeeded in separating out the stem cells from blood removed from the umbilical cord minutes after birth.

They are then placed in a 'bioreactor' - a piece of electrical equipment developed by NASA to mimic the effects of weightlessness. Inside this, the freedom from the force of gravity allows them to multiply more quickly than usual.

Then, various hormones and chemicals are added to coax the stem cells into turning into liver tissue.

So far, tiny pieces of tissue, less than an inch in diameter have been c

Buckfast Tonic Wine, commonly known as Buckfast, Buckie or Bucky is a tonic wine produced by Buckfast Abbey in Devon, south west England. The wine was first produced in 1890s by the Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey using a recipe brought over from France, as indeed is the wine base used today.

The wine was originally sold in small quantities by the Abbey itself, as a medicine with the slogan "Three small glasses a day, for good health and lively blood". In 1927 the Abbey lost its licence to sell wine, as a result of which the Abbot signed a deal with wine merchants to distribute the wine on the Abbey's behalf. At the same time, the recipe was changed in order for the wine to appeal to a wider customer base, resulting in increased sales.

Buckfast in popular culture
In recent times, Buckfast has achieved a surprising level of popularity within working class and bohemian communities in certain parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Buckfast sold in the Republic of Ireland has a slightly lower alcoholic strength, arrives in a darker bottle, and lacks the vanillin flavouring of the UK version. In the Republic of Ireland, Buckfast is particularly popular amongst the student community; in NUI Galway, a fanzine called Buckfast Supernova ran for several years in the mid to late 1990s.

Its iconic stature within the ned youth culture is hard to overemphasise and groups of neds can frequently be seen drinking it out of the bottle at all times of day in parks and other public places. Aside from 'Buckie', other nicknames include 'The Wine', 'Tonic', 'commotion lotion' and 'wreck-the-hoose juice'.[1].

In parts of Scotland it is referred to as "Coatbridge Table Wine" (referring to the town of Coatbridge, where the product is so common it is even available "on tap" in some pubs and added to black pudding in some local butcher's shops). Coatbridge is also known as the "Buckfast Capital" due to the drink's popularity, although there is an extremely high volume of Buckfast drinkers throughout the entire county of Lanarkshire. Statistics record that Lanarkshire accounts for around 10% of worldwide sales, with exports chiefly to Spain, Australia and the Caribbean.[2].

Buckfast and the surrounding culture in Glasgow is referenced in the song "A Bottle of Buckie" by American band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists on their 2007 album "Living With the Living".


Controversy

A tanker transporting Buckfast Wine photographed on the A38 in Devon.Within the above areas, Buckfast is alleged to be the drink of choice for drinkers who are prone to committing anti-social behaviour when drunk, especially underage drinkers. Its high strength (15% ABV/14.8% in the Republic of Ireland), relatively low price and sweetness are characteristics that traditionally appeal to underage drinkers (similar to other 'problem drinks' alcopops and cider).[3]

Many politicians and social activists single out Buckfast Tonic Wine as being particularly responsible for crime, disorder, and general social deprivation in these communities (although in reality, Buckfast is only one of a number of brands consumed abusively and accounts for only 0.5% of alcohol sales in Scotland, although the figure is markedly higher in Lanarkshire - see above). [4] Helen Liddell, former Secretary of State for Scotland, even called for the wine to be banned. The Scottish Justice Minister, Cathy Jamieson MSP, suggested that retailers should stop selling Buckfast. On a subsequent visit to Auchinleck, a town within her constituency, she faced an impromptu demonstration by teenagers chanting "Don't ban Buckie".[5] Ms Jamieson subsequently received correspondence from lawyers acting on behalf of J Chandler & Co., the Andover-based distributors of Buckfast. [6] A further consequence was that Buckfast sales increased substantially in the months following her comments.[7]

A further attack was made by Andy Kerr, the Scottish Parliament's Health Minister. In a rad