Thursday, April 22, 2010

BIO-ARTIFICIAL LIVER

ABSTRACT

The liver is the largest gland in our body and performs a variety of tasks that impact all parts of the body, a spongy mass of wedge-shaped lobes that has many metabolic and secretory functions. The liver secretes bile, a digestive fluid; metabolizes proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; stores glycogen, vitamins, and other substances; synthesizes blood-clotting factors; removes wastes and toxic matter from the blood.

As a result, liver disease has widespread effects on virtually all other organ systems. The only treatment available for liver failure is liver transplant surgery; but donor organs are difficult to obtain, and the procedure, which is complex and expensive, is frequently unsuccessful. Remarkably, the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. Numerous attempts have been made over the past 30 years to develop a technique to provide either partial or total metabolic support for the patient with a failing liver. The technical and clinical objective is to provide a temporary liver assist until a patient's own liver regenerates or until a liver transplant can be performed.

By using a special technique of naturally available resources like animal cells and synthetic membrane we are able to create bio artificial liver, which performs 90% of liver functions. It will be a boon for those suffering from liver failure.


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