The Artificial Liver

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The Artificial Liver

• Thaeje Shanker
• BME 181

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THE LIVER

• One of the most complex organs in the body.
• The only organ that can regenerate itself.
• Functions
• Filtering blood
• Produce cholesterol
• Produce hormones
• Stores glycogen
• Stores vitamins
• Produce the necessary biochemicals for digestion

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LIVER DISEASE

• Affects more than 30 million people in the US
• Affects every 1 in 12 Americans
• Causes
• Obesity
• Alcohol
• Hepatitis B/C
• Toxins
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Cancer

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TREATMENT

• The most effective treatment of liver disease is
  a liver transplant.
• Since liver transplants have a long wait list,
  the role of an artificial liver would be to
  sustain life until the transplant is complete or
  until the liver can regenerate itself.

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VITAL THERAPIES

• Vital Therapies company has created the first
  cell-based, artificial liver designed to
  stabilize liver function until a transplant.
• Product is called ELAD, which stands for
  Extra-corporeal Liver Assist Device.
• Device does not substitute all functions of the
  liver
• ELAD is able to process toxins, synthesize
  proteins, and give a longer survival time until
  transplant.

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ELAD

• ELAD system is an external machine that can
  support liver function up to thirty days.
• Consists of four cartridges, a glucose pump, and
  a dialysis type pump.
• Cartridges are lined with human liver cells
  (Hepatocytes) that were derived from a human
  liver tumor and grown in the cartridges.
• The liver cells can perform metabolic functions
  and the cartridges last up to seventeen days.

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HOW IT WORKS

• 1) The Dialysis pump takes in blood from the
  patient and separates the plasma out of the
  blood.
• 2) Then the plasma runs through the cartridges.
  The cells in the cartridges filter the toxins out
  of the plasma and produces proteins.
• 3) Then the plasma goes to the glucose pump,
  where glucose is added to the plasma.
• 4) Last, the plasma is returned to the patients
  bloodstream

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ELAD SYSTEM
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CURRENT EXPERIMENTS

• September 2012- Vital Therapies announced that it
  would start three pivotal phases in the US,
  Australia, and New Zealand. The phases would
  involve patients with alcohol hepatitis seeking a
  liver transplant.
• Phase 1 has already begun, with the other two
  phases to take place next year.
• If the company is successful with these phase
  research trials, the device could most likely
  launch by the end of 2016.

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REFERENCES

• http//www.vitaltherapies.com
• http//medcitynews.com/2012/11/supported-by-an-86-
  million-round-first-bio-artificial-liver-moves-tow
  ard-pivotal-trials/
• http//www.nbcnews.com/id/28981937/.UUX7Cxyd6xU