The BioArtificial Liver

1. The BioArtificial Liver Susana Candia Jahi Gist Hashim Mehter Priya Sateesha Roxanne Wadia

2. Biology of the Liver Left lobe Right lobe Falciform Ligament Gallbladder Kidneys Inferior Vena Cava Abdominal Aorta Graphic Courtesy of: http://www.ariess.com/s-crina/liver-anatomy.htm 

3. What does the Liver do? Among the most important liver functions are: • Removing and excreting body wastes and hormones as well as drugs and other foreign substances • Synthesizing plasma proteins, including those necessary for blood clotting • Producing immune factors and removing bacteria, helping the body fight infection Other important but less immediate functions include: • Producing bile to aid in digestion • Excretion of bilirubin • Storing certain vitamins, minerals, and sugars • Processing nutrients absorbed from digestive tract

4. Why would someone need a BioArtificial Liver?

5. Liver Transplantation Now • Patients are in waiting list ranked according to severity of disease and life expectancy among other variables. • Can be from a cadaveric donor or from a live donor. • Involves heavy use of immunosuppressants during and after surgery. • The risk of rejecion is always present.

6. What does a BioArtificial Liver need to do? • Cellular components must be purified and every component in it must be clearly identified. • The cellular preparation must be clearly shown to not transmit any infectious diseases of any kind. • The cellular component must stay viable and active • The synthetic component must be fully biocompatible, integrity of the material and parts must also be demonstrated • The device must be able to introduce the therapeutic and regulatory molecules that a healthy liver provides, and it must also filter substances from the blood the way that the normal liver does. • Must be immunocompatible. • Blood must perfuse properly through system

7. Enabling Technologies • Hemodialysis/hemofiltration hollow fibers- controlled interaction of cells and circulating fluids • Maintenance and creation of a cell line • Immortalizing cells • Encapsulation-envelopment of hepatocytes in a polymeric matrix. • Microcarriers- polymeric particles containing cells

8. Works in Progress: Points to Consider Bioreactor designs/Membrane configurations Cellular vs. Acellular system Porcine vs. Human hepatocytes Point in Development

9. Liver Dialysis Unit • FDA approved in 1994 • Plate dialyzer with blood on one side, dialysate is a mixture of sorbents, activated charcoal being the essential component. • For a substance to be removed, must be dialyzable and able to bind to charcoal. • “Bridge to recovery” for treat acute hepatic encephalopathy and overdoses of drugs • Post-market trials have shown the LDU to be effective in improving physiological and neurological status.

10. MARS® • Limited to investigational use in US. • Hollow fiber membrane hemodialyzer. • Blood on one side, human albumin on other. • Albumin recycled through circuit containing another dialyzer and carbon and anion exchanger adsorption columns. • Removes both water-soluble and protein bound substances • Keep valuable proteins  • Trial have found it safe and associated with clinical improvement

11. ELAD® • Uses cultured human hepatocytes express normal liver-specific metabolic pathways.hollow fiber dialyzer. • Dialyzer cartridge connected to continuous hemodialysis machines, like those used for renal therapy. • Blood separated into a cellular component and a plasma component. • Plasma through dialyzer, hepatocytes on outside of hollow fibers. • Currently involved in a phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficiency.

12. BLSS • Extracorporeal hemofiltration hollow fiber membrane bioreactor with 100 grams of primary porcine hepatocytes • Whole blood is filtered • Contains blood pump, heat exchanger, oxygenator to control oxygenation and pH, and hollow fiber bioreactor • Currently undergoing phase I/II clinical trials • Patients show some improvement

13. HepAssist 2000 System • Four components: a hollow fiber bioreactor containing porcine hepatocytes, two charcoal filters, a membrane oxygenator, and a pump. • Must be used in conjunction with a commercially available plasma separation machine • Blood separated; plasma processed through charcoal filters to remove particulates, bacteria, then enters bioreactor • Hepatocytes must be heated and oxygenated • FDA mandated full Phase III trials

14. LIVERx2000 • Hollow fiber cartridge • Primary porcine hepatocytes suspended in a cold collagen solution and injected inside fibers • Blood circulates outside the hollow fibers • Designed to treat both acute and chronic liver failure • Phase I/II clinical trials are underway to test the safety of efficacy of this device • Anyone treated with the LIVERx2000 will be monitored for PERV

15. MELS • Parallel plate design • Human hepatocytes attached to semipermeable membranes on parallel plate • Plasma separator, then plasma passes into the bioreactor • In the bioreactor, the plasma flows over the semipermeable membrane where the hepatocytes are adhered. • Current trials in Europe show promise

16. Demographics and Cost • Market for liver support is estimated to be substantial: $700 million in the United States and $1.4 billion worldwide. • Liver transplants have more than doubled in the past ten years, with the transplant waitlist growing in a similar fashion

17. Current and Future Challenges • GOAL: To produce a fully implantable bioartificial liver. Problems: Cell viability Fibrosis around implanted capsules Proteins greater than pore size cannot be released To achieve density of cells needed to replace liver, an estimated 1000m of hollow fibers would be needed