A failed liver is death. It converts ammonia accumulating into the blood into urea and That then leaves the body via the kidneys. Does the liver dump the urea it made back to the blood or send it more directly to the kidneys?
The tiny company, HepaLife, in which I have a small finacial interest, has a patented cell line (from pig's livers) that continue to live and function. They are making an artifical liver. Personnally I think one of it main first commercial uses will be by developers of drugs. Very many fail to get their drug thru to market because after spending millions in clinical trials they learn it damages the liver. Testing on Hepalife's machine, once it is proven to be a realistic liver, will save millions for many. Here is some of their latest infromation:
"... The performance of our bioartificial liver device is exciting. The rate of ammonia reduction achieved mainly via the natural urea cycle is an important step towards successful clinical application,” continued Mr. Menzler. “Furthermore, the ability of our cells to produce substantial amounts of urea while maintaining liver-like function, and preserving liver cell-like characteristics, all clearly establish the superior performance of our PICM-19 cell line inside our bioartificial liver.”
Intended for the treatment of liver failure, the HepaLife™ Bioartificial Liver device consists of three basic components: (1) a plasma filter, separating the patients blood into blood plasma and blood cells; (2) the bioreactor, a unit filled with the patented PICM-19 liver stem cell line which biologically mimics the liver’s function; and (3), the HepaDrive™, a perfusion system for pumping the patient's plasma through the bioreactor while controlling gas supply and temperature for best possible performance of the cells.
Incorporating the PICM-19 cell line, HepaLife is developing the first-of-its-kind bioartificial liver. HepaLife's bioartificial liver currently under development, is designed to operate outside the patient's body. The bioartificial liver is envisioned to mimic important functions of the human liver by circulating the patient's blood inside the device, where it is exposed to HepaLife's patented PICM-19 liver stem cells, thus processing the patient's blood-plasma by removing toxins, enhancing metabolic function, and ultimately, imitating the liver's natural function. ..."
" ... HepaLife’s bioartificial liver reduced ammonia levels by 75% within less than 24 hours. Published in-vivo {in animals with NH3 added to blood, I think} clinical data of other systems utilizing liver cells other than HepaLife’s patented PICM-19, have only reported ammonia reduction levels between 0 to 44%. ..."
From:
http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/BW/20080211005461_univ.xml
I started a thread about NH3 as a way to store hydrogen for mobile fuel in chemisty section and recently learned that Urea has been suggested for this also. See:
http://www.sciforums.com/showpost.php?p=1737225&postcount=48
I would like to understand more about the production of ammonia and urea by biologic system. Comments?
One thing I have learned was that the "vitalist idea" (There is something special about molecules made by living organism) was first shot down by the synthesis of urea from inorganic chemicals, in contradiction to theory.
The tiny company, HepaLife, in which I have a small finacial interest, has a patented cell line (from pig's livers) that continue to live and function. They are making an artifical liver. Personnally I think one of it main first commercial uses will be by developers of drugs. Very many fail to get their drug thru to market because after spending millions in clinical trials they learn it damages the liver. Testing on Hepalife's machine, once it is proven to be a realistic liver, will save millions for many. Here is some of their latest infromation:
"... The performance of our bioartificial liver device is exciting. The rate of ammonia reduction achieved mainly via the natural urea cycle is an important step towards successful clinical application,” continued Mr. Menzler. “Furthermore, the ability of our cells to produce substantial amounts of urea while maintaining liver-like function, and preserving liver cell-like characteristics, all clearly establish the superior performance of our PICM-19 cell line inside our bioartificial liver.”
Intended for the treatment of liver failure, the HepaLife™ Bioartificial Liver device consists of three basic components: (1) a plasma filter, separating the patients blood into blood plasma and blood cells; (2) the bioreactor, a unit filled with the patented PICM-19 liver stem cell line which biologically mimics the liver’s function; and (3), the HepaDrive™, a perfusion system for pumping the patient's plasma through the bioreactor while controlling gas supply and temperature for best possible performance of the cells.
Incorporating the PICM-19 cell line, HepaLife is developing the first-of-its-kind bioartificial liver. HepaLife's bioartificial liver currently under development, is designed to operate outside the patient's body. The bioartificial liver is envisioned to mimic important functions of the human liver by circulating the patient's blood inside the device, where it is exposed to HepaLife's patented PICM-19 liver stem cells, thus processing the patient's blood-plasma by removing toxins, enhancing metabolic function, and ultimately, imitating the liver's natural function. ..."
" ... HepaLife’s bioartificial liver reduced ammonia levels by 75% within less than 24 hours. Published in-vivo {in animals with NH3 added to blood, I think} clinical data of other systems utilizing liver cells other than HepaLife’s patented PICM-19, have only reported ammonia reduction levels between 0 to 44%. ..."
From:
http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/BW/20080211005461_univ.xml
I started a thread about NH3 as a way to store hydrogen for mobile fuel in chemisty section and recently learned that Urea has been suggested for this also. See:
http://www.sciforums.com/showpost.php?p=1737225&postcount=48
I would like to understand more about the production of ammonia and urea by biologic system. Comments?
One thing I have learned was that the "vitalist idea" (There is something special about molecules made by living organism) was first shot down by the synthesis of urea from inorganic chemicals, in contradiction to theory.
Last edited by a moderator: