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Semin Liver Dis 1999; 19(1): 39-48
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1007096
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1999 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Hepatocyte Transplantation for the Treatment of Human Disease

Stephen C. Strom1 , Jayanta Roy Chowdhury2 , Ira J. Fox3
  • 1Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • 2Departments of Medicine and Molecular Genetics and the Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York
  • 3Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska
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Publication History

Publication Date:
17 March 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

A great deal of work with animal models indicates that hepatocytes transplanted into the liver or spleen survive, function, and participate in the normal regenerative process. Recent clinical studies suggest that hepatocyte transplantation may be useful for bridging patients to whole organ transplantation and for providing metabolic support during liver failure and for replacing whole organ transplantation in certain metabolic liver diseases. In specific situations where the rate of death of host hepatocytes is high, the transplanted cells can repopulate the native liver. Techniques have been established for the large scale isolation, culture, and cryopreservation of human hepatocytes. Shortage of donor organs and the need for immunosuppression are two major hurdles to widespread application of this procedure, and current research in experimental animals is aimed at addressing these problems.

KEY WORDS

hepatocyte - transplantation

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