Hepatocyte transplantation

Achilles A. Demitriou
From: Science & Medicine: Volume 1 Number 5: Page 58 (December 1994)

Abstract: Although there is some evidence that hepatocyte transplantation results in significant beneficial effects, indefinite survival and function of transplanted hepatocytes at an ectopic site has not yet been achieved. The emerging field of gene therapy has renewed interest in hepatocyte transplantation, so the refinement of cell delivery techniques may overcome present technical limitations. It appears that the recipient liver is the optimal site for hepatocyte transplantation and that optimal transplanted cel function requires the presence of a proliferative stimulus. Hepatocyte transplantation will be primarily useful for terating genetic liver function defects, where a relatively small number of surviving functional cells could correct a specific defect.

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