Hardware Podcasts

250. MIT’s Injectable Mini Liver Could Save Thousands of Lives

The Next Byte Podcast · 1 Sept 2026 · 22m

What this episode covers

MIT researchers Professor Sangita Batia and post-doc Vardhan Kumar developed INSIGHT, an injectable 'satellite liver' using hydrogel beads and hepatocytes to support failing livers without surgery. The hosts discuss how this material scaffold prevents cell death, allowing injected cells to survive for 8 weeks in mice and potentially treat multiple patients from one donor. They highlight the accessibility of the procedure, which requires only a syringe and ultrasound, contrasting it with the high barrier of traditional transplants. The episode also covers Pandora Technologies' 3D-printed cornea solutions as a parallel innovation in additive manufacturing for medical applications.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MIT, Mouser Electronics, Pandora Technologies
Products
INSIGHT

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