Science
Even Within the Same Liver, Cells Closer to the Inlet Stored More Iron
Related terms: 中学理科・生物 高校生物・代謝 高校化学・酸化還元 Fe
Key points (reviewing AI explanation)
The team developed a fluorescent technology that simultaneously observes iron and oxygen within cells, and used it to confirm cell-by-cell differences in a living mouse liver.
Explanation
On August 14, 2026, Institute of Science Tokyo announced the development of a fluorescent technology called "LiON" that can simultaneously observe the iron actually being used inside cells and the state of oxygen.
Previous methods could not distinguish between "iron currently available for use" and "iron kept in storage" within cells, and it was also difficult to track individual cells one by one. With this new technology, the iron and oxygen status of individual cells can reportedly now be examined within a living body.
Observation of mouse livers revealed differences depending on location even within a single liver. Cells on the side where blood enters (the portal vein side) tended to accumulate more iron than cells on the side where blood exits (the central vein side), and were also more susceptible to iron-induced oxidative stress. The team says this is the first time this has been confirmed within a living body.
Even within the organ we collectively call the "liver," cell properties differ depending on where the cells are located—a finding that also illustrates how some things cannot be understood by looking only at averages.
Source: www.isct.ac.jp