Researchers in Sweden have found a way to understand and monitor the liver by studying it in a completely different part of the body – the eyes.

The study at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, transplanted lab-grown liver cells into the eyes of mice – between the iris and cornea – as the cells attached to the iris are supplied with blood and nerves.

In addition, the liver cells had similar characteristics to the actual liver, such as retaining fat in a similar way when the mice were fed a high-fat diet.

The approach therefore provides a higher definition way to monitor the health of the liver in a living body, but without the need for invasive procedures.

Ultimately, the aim is to better understand the role the liver plays in metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.

First author Francesca Lazzeri-Barcelo said: “With the new platform, we can now monitor the development of fatty liver at the cellular level and we are excited to start using it to test different drugs and treatment strategies.”