title: Testing of microencapsulated porcine hepatocytes in a new model of fulminant liver failure in baboons.
abstract: There is no standard therapy for acute liver failure. Hepatocyte transplantation has been proposed for temporary liver function support, while the injured liver regenerates or while waiting for transplantation. We have previously shown such efficacy for microencapsulated porcine hepatocytes in mice with fulminant liver failure. We aimed to establish a large animal model for fulminant liver failure to assess the efficacy of microencapsulated porcine hepatocytes in temporary liver function support.
  
  
  
  The model was developed in baboons; for testing microencapsulated hepatocytes, the best condition was 75% hepatectomy and 60 min warm ischemia time. Fulminant liver failure was characterized by steep increases in liver biochemical parameters, severe steatosis, and massive hepatocyte necrosis during the first 10 days. Hepatocytes from miniature swine were microencapsulated in alginate-poly-l-lysine microspheres, and transplanted intraperitoneally immediately after hepatectomy and warm ischemia (80-120 mL packed hepatocytes in 200-350 mL microspheres, about 30%-50% of the baboon's native liver volume).
  
  
  
  In the control group, three of five animals were sacrificed after 6-10 days because of fulminant liver failure, and two of five animals recovered normal liver function and survived until elective euthanasia (28 days). In the treatment group of four animals, one animal developed liver failure but survived to 21 days, and three animals recovered completely with normal liver function.
  
  
  
  The results indicate that microencapsulated porcine hepatocytes provide temporary liver function support in baboons with fulminant liver failure. These data support development of this cell therapy product toward clinical trials in patients with acute liver failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Zurab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Machaidze
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schuetz
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carvello
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgroi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Rex N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Henk-Jan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3277-7741
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.affiliation: Transplant Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sachs
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Markmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Léo H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bühler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008863:Microspheres; D048529:Papio hamadryas; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen
keywords: cell microencapsulation; fulminant liver failure; hepatocyte transplantation; non-human primate; porcine hepatocytes