Enhancing cell viability with pulsating flow in a hollow fiber bioartificial liver.
A pulsating flow of medium was used to alleviate diffusion and transport limitations in a hollow fiber bioreactor containing a human hepatoblastoma cell line. The strategy is easy to implement but effective. The pulsating flow is introduced by a solenoid pinch valve at the outlet of the bioreactor and regulated by a timing circuit. In a permeability test, the system with pulsating flow had much less membrane fouling as compared to the control, a conventional hollow fiber unit. In hepatocyte culture test runs, the pulsating-flow bioreactor demonstrated the ability to maintain a higher cell viability. Histological sections indicated significantly smaller necrotic regions in the pulsating-flow bioreactor as compared to the conventional unit.
Nguyen
Diem T
DT
Applied Molecular Evolutions, 3520 Dunhill St., San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
Brotherton
John D
JD
Chau
Pao C
PC
D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D018197:Hepatoblastoma; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D011673:Pulsatile Flow