Related Experiment Videos
Bioengineering of liver assist devices
Arno W Tilles1, François Berthiaume, Martin L Yarmush
1Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bigelow 1401, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
|March 27, 2003
Summary
Bioartificial liver devices offer a potential solution for patients with liver failure awaiting transplants. Optimizing hepatocyte function in these devices is crucial for improving patient outcomes and device efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Hepatology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) has high mortality, with orthotopic liver transplantation as the primary treatment.
- Donor organ scarcity limits liver transplantation, leading to increased patient mortality while awaiting organs.
- Bioartificial liver (BAL) devices aim to support patients with liver failure, bridging the gap until transplantation or regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review critical issues in bioartificial liver development.
- To discuss experiences in optimizing hepatocyte culture for BAL devices.
- To highlight the importance of device design in maintaining hepatocyte function.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and clinical trial data on BAL devices.
- Discussion of challenges in culturing stable, functional hepatocytes at high densities.
- Focus on a microchannel, flat-plate BAL device with an internal membrane oxygenator.
Main Results:
- Many current BAL designs suffer from substrate limitations, compromising hepatocyte function.
- Optimized hepatocyte culture and device design can overcome substrate limitations.
- Improved device efficiency is achievable through enhanced hepatocyte function.
Conclusions:
- Stable, well-differentiated hepatocytes are essential for effective BAL device function.
- Device design, particularly avoiding substrate limitations, is critical for optimizing hepatocyte performance.
- Further development of BAL technology holds promise for managing liver failure.