Project Need
Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of mortality in the United States, and affects over 25 million nationwide. Less severe cases of liver disease can be managed using drugs or other less-invasive treatments, but end-stage liver disease can only be treated through a liver transplantation. However, only about 7,000 livers are available for transplant each year, and there are currently over 16,000 patients registered on the national waiting list. 2,000 patients die annually waiting for a transplant (OPTN as of Sep. 27, 2011). The problem is further compounded by complications relating to host-donor compatibility, as the recipient will require a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs.
Due to the limited availability and the aforementioned problems involved with liver transplantation, there is a need for a device that can replicate the function of the liver and safely integrate with the patient’s physiology. One such device in development is the ELAD, a liver assist device from Vital Therapies that pumps the patient's blood through a large external filtration machine. Even if this therapy proves to be effective (it is currently in clinical testing), its applicability is limited due to its large size and need for an intensive care setting.
Tissue engineering can be used to design a liver assist device that is compact and implantable. This would eliminate the need for trained operators as well as regular maintenance. Such a device can at first be used to aid in liver function and operate in parallel with the patient's own liver, prolonging the patient's life until a donor organ can be found. As the technology is improved and the device's efficacy increases, it can eventually replace the need for transplantation altogether and function independently as an artificial liver.
Due to the limited availability and the aforementioned problems involved with liver transplantation, there is a need for a device that can replicate the function of the liver and safely integrate with the patient’s physiology. One such device in development is the ELAD, a liver assist device from Vital Therapies that pumps the patient's blood through a large external filtration machine. Even if this therapy proves to be effective (it is currently in clinical testing), its applicability is limited due to its large size and need for an intensive care setting.
Tissue engineering can be used to design a liver assist device that is compact and implantable. This would eliminate the need for trained operators as well as regular maintenance. Such a device can at first be used to aid in liver function and operate in parallel with the patient's own liver, prolonging the patient's life until a donor organ can be found. As the technology is improved and the device's efficacy increases, it can eventually replace the need for transplantation altogether and function independently as an artificial liver.