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Artificial Liver
Earlier, artificial support systems were not widely used in cases of liver failure, primarily because
hepatic toxins are albumin-bound unlike most uremic toxins and hence cannot be removed by
conventional dialysis. Recently, advances have been made for the removal of hepatic toxins making it
now possible to support the patient with liver failure till the liver recovers or until liver transplantation
is feasible.
The major artificial liver support systems are – Peritoneal dialysis, Haemodialysis, Hemofilteration,
Continuous renal replacement therapy, Charcoal Haemoperfusion, Plasma exchange, Biologic – DT
sorbent System and Molecular adsorbent recirculating system.
In this system, patient's blood or plasma is pumped into bioreactors, which are hollow fibre devices,
seeded on the dialysate side with freshly isolated or cryopreserved porcine hepatocytes or transformed
human hepatoma cell line.
Market for artificial liver
India has done less than 300 liver transplantations. The liver transplants are primarily done through
two modes in India –
• Cadaveric donation where the liver of a brain dead person is used
• Living Liver donation where half of the liver of patient’s relative is given to the patient, the
liver then regenerates after some days in both donor and receiver.
There has been no artificial liver transplant in India yet.