title: [Hepatocyte transplantation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transplantation of hepatocytes is considered a promising technology for the cell therapy of liver diseases. Cells are isolated from donor livers, which are not allocated for organ transplantation and transplanted into the liver of a suitable recipient. Ideally, the transplanted cells functionally replace the hepatocytes of the diseased organ and restore its metabolic capacity either permanently or for a period of bridging to organ transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although about 50 cases of clinical hepatocyte transplantation have been documented, therapeutic benefit is doubtful, and the reasons for this are largely unknown. Minor quality of the transplanted cells isolated from marginal donor livers may be a major cause. Therefore, animal models have been established, which enable scientists to develop novel procedures of hepatocyte transplantation and to specifically study the mechanisms of hepatocyte integration in the host liver. Hopefully, results generated in animal models will set the basis for the design of novel procedures of hepatocyte transplantation individualized to the underlying disease in order to provide a growth advantage for donor over host cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plasticity of stem cells and their proliferative potential is the basis for current efforts to generate stem cell-derived hepatocytes of transplantation quality for the treatment of liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Bereich Molekulare Hepatologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Heinrich-Damerow-Strasse 1, 06097, Halle/Saale. bruno.christ@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.forename: Wolfgang E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Fleig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics; D015925:Cryopreservation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000235:genetics; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins