Liver cell transplantation for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I: update and perspectives.
Liver cell transplantation is an attractive technique to treat liver-based inborn errors of metabolism. The feasibility and efficacy of the procedure has been demonstrated, leading to medium term partial metabolic control of various diseases. Crigler-Najjar is the paradigm of such diseases in that the host liver is lacking one function with an otherwise normal parenchyma. The patient is at permanent risk for irreversible brain damage. The goal of liver cell transplantation is to reduce serum bilirubin levels within safe limits and to alleviate phototherapy requirements to improve quality of life. Preliminary data on Gunn rats, the rodent model of the disease, were encouraging and have led to successful clinical trials. Herein we report on two additional patients and describe the current limits of the technique in terms of durability of the response as compared to alternative therapeutic procedures. We discuss the future developments of the technique and new emerging perspectives.
Lysy
Philippe-A
PA
Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Cliniques Saint Luc, 10 av. Hippocrate, Brussels B-1200, Belgium.
Najimi
Mustapha
M
Stephenne
Xavier
X
Bourgois
Annick
A
Smets
Francoise
F
Sokal
Etienne-M
EM
D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D003414:Crigler-Najjar Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011911:Rats, Gunn; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001663:Bilirubin