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Artificial liver: review and Cedars-Sinai experience
Y Kamohara1, J Rozga, A A Demetriou
1Department of Surgery and Liver Support Unit, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, 8700 Beverly Blvd., R-8015, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
|January 9, 1999
Summary
Liver transplantation is limited, driving research into alternative liver support systems. A new generation of bioartificial liver devices, using porcine hepatocytes, shows promise in clinical trials for liver insufficiency.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Hepatology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Whole organ liver transplantation is the primary treatment for liver failure but faces limitations.
- Organ donor shortage, high costs, and immunosuppression necessitate alternative solutions for liver insufficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review past liver support systems and critically examine the current field.
- To summarize Phase I clinical trial results of a novel bioartificial liver device.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical and current liver support technologies.
- Development and clinical testing of a bioartificial liver device utilizing primary porcine hepatocytes.
- Evaluation of advances in hepatocyte culture, biomaterials, and mass transport.
Main Results:
- Significant advancements in hepatocyte isolation, biomaterials, and hollow-fiber technology have enabled new liver assist devices.
- A Phase I clinical trial was conducted using a bioartificial liver device with porcine hepatocytes.
- The study summarizes the outcomes of this initial clinical investigation.
Conclusions:
- Bioartificial liver devices represent a promising new generation of treatments for liver insufficiency.
- Ongoing clinical trials are essential to validate the efficacy and safety of these novel liver support systems.
- Further research into hepatocyte-matrix interactions and mass transport is crucial for device optimization.