A bioartificial liver--state of the art.
End-stage liver disease is treated by liver transplantation, but donor organ shortages remain a serious problem. This has prompted the design of bioartificial liver devices to "bridge" patients until they either recover or receive a liver transplant. In these devices, patient plasma is circulated extracorporeally through a bioreactor that houses liver cells (hepatocytes) sandwiched between artificial plates or capillaries.
Strain
Alastair J
AJ
Schools of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Birmingham, and Liver and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK. a.j.strain@bham.ac.uk
Neuberger
James M
JM
D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004867:Equipment Design; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000628:therapy*; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D010949:Plasma; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology