Liver damage remains a life-threatening syndrome. With the increasing number of patients awaiting transplantation, efforts have been made to develop extracorporeal methods to support or replace the function of the failing organ. A bioartificial liver support system has to provide the main functions of the liver: detoxification, synthesis, and regulation. It may prolonger the expected survival time of acute liver failure patients. Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts to hepatic lineages could offer a new type of solution to bioartificial liver support system. The investigators have already generated human induced hepatocytes (hiHeps) from fibroblasts by lentiviral expression of FOXA3, HNF1A, and HNF4A. hiHeps express hepatic gene programs, can be expanded in vitro, and display functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes, including cytochrome P450 enzyme activity and biliary drug clearance. hiHeps can restore the liver function and prolong survival. This study tends to evaluate safety and efficacy of hiHep bioartificial liver support system in treating acute liver failure.
This study tend to evaluate safety and efficacy of hiHep bioartificial liver support system in treating acute liver failure.