Hope for people with liver failure — artificial livers now become a reality Editorial Team September 28, 2014 at 1:29 pm
According to a new research, a bio-artificial liver support system for patients suffering from acute liver failure is on its way, as investigations are done to assess its safety and effectiveness. Steven D. Colquhoun, lead investigator at Cedars-Sinai said that the quest for a device that can fill in for the function of the liver (at least on a temporary basis) temporarily, has been under trial for decades. The bio-artificial liver (BAL) is the one that can achieve this task as it posses the potential to sustain patients with acute liver failure until their own livers start to self-repair.
The majority of the 49 sites currently involved in the investigation are in the United States, but studies are also underway in Europe and Australia and the research involves patients with liver disease caused by acute alcoholic hepatitis, a group with few therapeutic options. In the bio-artificial liver, which is designed by Vital Therapies Inc., blood is drawn from the patient via a central venous line, and then is filtered through a component system featuring four tubes, each about 1 foot long, which are embedded with liver cells.
The external organ support system is designed to perform critical functions of a normal liver, including protein synthesis and the processing and cleaning of a patient’s blood, after which the filtered and treated blood is returned to the patient through the central line. Colquhoun added that if successful, a bioartificial liver could not only allow time for a patient’s own damaged organ to regenerate, but also promote that regeneration and in the case of chronic liver failure, it also potentially could support some patients through the long wait for a liver transplant. Liver disease – types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention
The liver is the largest internal organ of your body. It performs more than 500 different functions including digestion, metabolism, storing nutrients and removing toxins and waste products. Sadly, it is an easy target because everything you eat or drink is metabolised with the help of your liver. That’s one of the reasons why liver disease is now among the top lifestyle disorders or chronic diseases that are spreading like an epidemic in India. Causes and types of liver disease
There are more than 100 different forms of liver disease caused by various factors ranging from genetic, environmental to lifestyle habits. Here are some common types of liver diseases and theri causes highlighted by Dr Adarsh CK, consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, St John’s Medical College Hospital, Banglore. 1 Alcoholic liver disease: It is caused by heavy intake of alcohol. Alcohol affects the liver cells and diverts them from their primary function of providing glucose. It can also destroy the liver cells resulting in fat deposits (alcoholic fatty liver disease) and can even cause inflammation of liver (alcoholic hepatitis). Here’s detailed information on alcohlic liver disease. 2. Non alcoholic liver disease: It is excessive fat accumulation around the liver found in people who do not consume alcohol. Here are causes, symptoms and prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 3. Hepatitis: It is inflammation of liver, most commonly caused by hepatitis virus. There are different types of hepatitis: hepatitis A, B, C and E caused by different viruses. Read to more about diagnosis, treatment and prevention of liver disease
With inputs from ANI
Image Source: Getty Images 作者: StephenW 时间: 2014-9-30 14:39
"Bio-Artificial Liver" Begins Clinical Testing By Chuck Seegert, Ph.D.
Testing on an engineered liver replacement is under way at Cedars-Sinai. Using human cells, the device may provide a solution to the long absent need for artificial liver function.
Patients experiencing kidney failure are able to obtain relief from dialysis treatments, a method of removing wastes from the blood. Cardiac patients can be treated with ventricular assist devices or even artificial hearts. So far, however, there has been no analog for patients undergoing liver failure.
"The quest for a device that can fill in for the function of the liver, at least temporarily, has been underway for decades,” said Steven D. Colquhoun, M.D., the surgical director of liver transplantation at Cedars-Sinai’s Comprehensive Transplant Center, in a recent press release. “A bioartificial liver, also known as a BAL, could potentially sustain patients with acute liver failure until their own livers self-repair."
The functions of the liver are very complex, which has made development of artificial liver function challenging. Normally, the liver governs regulation of glucose levels, protein production, and detoxification. Liver failure can occur for a number of reasons including trauma, viral infections, and chemical poisoning including alcohol abuse.
To mimic this function, a team at a company called Vital Therapies Inc. developed a device they call the ELAD bio-artificial liver, according to the press release. The ELAD device works by withdrawing blood from a central venous line and filtering it through a system that has four, 1-foot long tubes. Each tube contains human liver cells that process the blood, clean the blood, and make proteins — all while performing other critical organ-related processes, according to the press release.
"If successful, a bioartificial liver could not only allow time for a patient’s own damaged organ to regenerate, but also promote that regeneration. In the case of chronic liver failure, it also potentially could support some patients through the long wait for a liver transplant," Colquhoun explained in the press release.
While the technology available to replace liver function is advancing, replacement of kidney function also continues to progress. Recently, a wearable artificial kidney was approved by the FDA for human clinical trials, which are currently underway. Image Credit: ELAD investigational bio-artificial liver support system, Vital Therapies Inc.