Japan's National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) said here Friday that it has successfully transplanted liver cells to a baby boy for the first time in Japan.
Akira Matsui, the NCCHD hospital chief, said they have safely conducted the operation that could develop into regenerative medicine using embryo-stem or induce pluripotent stem cells, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency.
The center used some surplus liver cells left frozen after 14 living liver transplantations it conducted in and after May 2011 in the globally rare case.
The baby, whose liver failed to function properly, received the transplantation on Aug. 10, when he was 11 days old, and on Aug. 13.
The baby could be discharged from the hospital in a month and a half.
