Tissue-Engineered Liver Derived from Organ-Specific Stem Cells Demonstrates Bile Ducts and Albumin Production

Abstract

End-stage liver failure is a devastating worldwide health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10% of the world population, including 25 million Americans, has chronic liver disease. Currently the only effective therapy is liver transplantation, which is limited by donor scarcity and frought with significant morbidity and mortality. One option to bridge the gap between liver failure and liver transplant is the use of tissue-engineered livers (TEL). Our objective is to establish a technique for transplantation of autologous progenitor cells on a biodegradable construct to augment liver function as a potential bridge to transplant or standalone cell-based therapy for patients with congenital liver diseases.