title: Hepatocyte cell therapy in liver disease.
abstract: Liver disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Liver transplantation remains the only proven treatment for end-stage liver failure but is limited by the availability of donor organs. Hepatocyte cell therapy, either with bioartificial liver devices or hepatocyte transplantation, may help address this by delaying or preventing liver transplantation. Early clinical studies have shown promising results, however in most cases, the benefit has been short lived and so further research into these therapies is required. Alternative sources of hepatocytes, including stem cell-derived hepatocytes, are being investigated as the isolation of primary human hepatocytes is limited by the same shortage of donor organs. This review summarises the current clinical experience of hepatocyte cell therapy together with an overview of possible alternative sources of hepatocytes. Current and future areas for research that might lead towards the realisation of the full potential of hepatocyte cell therapy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a NIHR Centre for Liver Research and Biomedical Research Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.|b Liver Unit, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: David Christopher
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: a NIHR Centre for Liver Research and Biomedical Research Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.|b Liver Unit, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Philip N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Newsome
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000628:therapy*; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
keywords: acute liver failure; bioartificial liver device; cell therapy; hepatocyte cell therapy; hepatocyte transplantation; inborn errors of metabolism; liver failure