Hope for people with liver failure — artificial livers now become a reality

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

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