[Perspectives of liver replacement: consideration of the uniqueness of the human liver].
The feasibility of liver replacement is currently dominated by the problems of availability of liver transplants. This has led to the development of surgical techniques allowing the use, in children, of a transplant derived from an older donor, whose volume is reduced by partial hepatectomy. Transplant sharing techniques have also been developed allowing the same donor organ to be used in two recipients. Despite the negative aspects of this approach, some teams have also been forced to develop liver transplantation in children using a living related donor. With the possibility of a growing shortage of transplants, research is underway in the field of heterologous transplantation, i.e. interspecies transplantation. Control of rejection is currently the principal obstacle in this context and is a long way from being completely resolved.
Houssin
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Clinique Chirurgicale, Hôpital Cochin, Paris.
D004989:Ethics; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement
Perspectives du remplacement hépatique: remise en cause de l'unicité et de l'humanité du foie.