Integrating repopulation and regeneration of the auxiliarily transplanted small liver graft: The solution for organ shortage and immunosuppression

Abstract

Cirrhosis is a common yet generally irreversible medical condition which would cause damaged liver function and regeneration after resection. When the disease progressed to end stage, liver transplantation, cadaveric or live donor, would be the only way to eliminate the disease. But both have their confinements, such as organ shortage, detriments to the donors, and immunosuppression.Now that the techniques of auxiliary transplantation are in practice, and the phenomenon of graft repopulated by cells of host origin has been observed, and that elevated blood inflow would stimulate the regenerative response, the combination of the three might give rise to a non-immunogeneic customized liver. We hypotheses that it can be achieved through a auxiliary transplantation of a extremely small but normal graft combined with progressive portal control on the portal inflow of the native liver to induce atrophy of the cirrhotic liver and the regeneration of the graft, as well as postoperative administration of bone marrow mobilizing agents and reduced administration of immunosuppressants to initiate repopulation.This will not only solve the issue of organ shortage as one organ can be shared by more, and in case of live donor, less detriments would occur due to reduced size needed; but diminish, even eliminate the adverse effect caused by immunosuppression as well.