Liver assist device employing transformed cell lines

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Abstract of the Disclosure, An improved extracorporeal liver assist device and method is provided which employs a blood perfusion membrane cultured with initially transformed hepatocytes until a confluent monolayer is developed, whereupon the hepatocytes are reverted to the somatic phenotype for perfusion purposes. Use of transformed hepatocytes permits serial subculturing to maintain a clinical supply of cells for the patient, while the in vitro proliferation characteristics and loss of contact inhibition of the transformed hepatocytes ensures rapid cell division and layer formation on the perfusion membranes. Virally transformed, temperature sensitive hepatocytes are preferred so that …