ALEX (artificial liver for extracorporeal xenoassistance): a new bioreactor containing a porcine autologous biomatrix as hepatocyte support. Preliminary results in an ex vivo experimental model.
Long-term maintenance of viability and expression of differentiated hepatocyte function is crucial for bioartificial liver support. We developed a new bioreactor design (ALEX), associated with a new extracellular autologous hepatocyte biomatrix (Porcine Autologous Biomatrix - PBM) support. To test this new bioreactor, we compared it to a standard BAL (BioArtificial Liver) cartridge in a ex vivo model using human plasma added to bilirubin, ammonium and lidocaine. A pathology study was performed on both bioreactors. The results suggest that ALEX allows a maximal contact between the perfusing plasma and the liver cells and a proper hepatocyte support by a cell-to-matrix attachment. ALEX is a suitable cell support bioreactor, guaranteeing long-term maintenance of the metabolic activity of hepatocytes when compared to a standard BAL cartridge.
Ambrosino
G
G
Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, Section of General and Liver Transplant Surgery, University of Padova School of Medicine, Padova, Italy. giovanni.ambrosino@unipd.it
Varotto
S
S
Basso
S
S
Galavotti
D
D
Cecchetto
A
A
Carraro
P
P
Naso
A
A
De Silvestro
G
G
Plebani
M
M
Giron
G
G
Abatangelo
G
G
Donato
D
D
Braga
G P
GP
Cestrone
A
A
Marrelli
L
L
Trombetta
M
M
Lorenzelli
V
V
Picardi
A
A
Valente
M L
ML
Palu
G
G
Colantoni
A
A
Van Thiel
D
D
Ricordi
C
C
D'Amico
D F
DF
D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D019149:Bioreactors; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D022781:Hepatocytes; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000097:blood; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering
D000641:Ammonia; D008012:Lidocaine; D001663:Bilirubin