The study published online Sept. 26, 2025, in the journal Advanced Science describes a miniaturized, fully human liver system built from stem cells and a patient’s own immune cells—a powerful new tool to uncover why some people experience serious, immune-related liver injuries from otherwise safe medications. The study’s co-first author, Fadoua El Abdellaoui Soussi, Ph.D., and corresponding author, Magdalena Kasendra, Ph.D., are members of the Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) at Cincinnati Children’s.

“Our goal was to create a human system that captures how the liver and immune system interact in patients,” El Abdellaoui Soussi says. “By integrating patient-specific genetics and immune responses, we can finally begin to explain why certain drugs cause liver injury in only a small subset of individuals.”