title: Prolonged survival of porcine hepatocytes in cynomolgus monkeys.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Management of patients with liver failure can be a significant medical challenge, and transplantation of the liver is the only definitive therapy. Whole liver allotransplantation is limited by a shortage of human donors and the risks of the surgery in those most ill. Transplants consisting of xenogeneic hepatocytes might overcome these problems, and work in rodents indicates that such transplants can correct some metabolic deficiencies and can prevent the complications and mortality associated with hepatic failure. As a prelude to clinical application, we tested the feasibility of hepatocyte xenotransplantation in nonhuman primates.
  
  
  METHODS
  One to 2 billion hepatocytes from outbred swine were transplanted into the spleens of cynomolgus monkeys using conventional immunosuppression to control rejection. Duration of graft function was determined based on assay for porcine albumin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following a single infusion, xenogeneic hepatocytes functioned for more than 80 days and, following re-transplantation, for more than 253 days. Engraftment in the spleen was confirmed 40 days after transplantation by asialoglycoprotein receptor-directed nuclear scanning. The humoral immune response to the transplanted porcine cells had no discernible impact on the survival of the grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xenotransplantation of hepatocytes should be explored as a readily available, minimally invasive form of therapy for hepatic failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishitai
authors.forename: Chiyoe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.forename: Jia-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cody A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Awwad
authors.forename: Henk-Jan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Christians
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baranowska-Kortylewicz
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: Ira J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000097:blood; D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor / Q000378:metabolism; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013552:Swine; D013667:Technetium; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile; D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013667:Technetium