BioEngine: One Step Closer to Artificial Liver Device

As the title suggests, this article looks into the developments of BioEngine, a firm focusing upon the development of artificial liver technology. In particular, the company is trying to create support structures that will allow specialized cells to "grow and function outside of an actual organ". Back in 2007, the company hoped to get FDA clearance to perform its first human trials within two years. I did a little bit a research on the company's website, but I did not find any information confirming whether or not BioEngine actually got its approval. However, it appeared as if the website had not been updated in a long time.

The goal of BioEngine is to create "three-dimensional structures that could provide a foothold for human cells" and to then commercialize the technology. The first few prototypes failed, but after completely starting from the scratch, the new designs are starting to show some promise. There are several challenges that engineers must overcome when designing these structures. First off, the cells must be really close to blood vessels in order to exchange nutrients and toxins. As a result, the vessels must branch into ever smaller vessels via a mechanism that does not cause the blood to clot. Researchers originally created channels with flat edges, and this method did not work. BioEngine then teamed up with ExOne, and with their expertise, they created a structure with rounded out grooves, allowing the blood to flow smoothly.



Conceptually, this idea seems to have a lot of promise, but I am not entirely convinced that it will functionally work. The article discusses the challenges of blood clotting, but I think that there are far more serious questions that need to be answered. What kind of cells will they put into the device? Will these cells be able to successfully function within this artificial environment? If an individual's liver is missing a specific function, adding a "simple" one cell type artificial liver seems like a good solution. Given all of the research, I think that this therapy will be incredibly expensive, and it only help a certain sub-population of those with liver disease. Regardless, I found the article very interesting, and I think that it taking a good step towards the production of a truly artificial liver.

-John

Wade Roush, Xconomy, 9/20/07
http://www.xconomy.com/2007/09/20/bioengine-one-step-closer-to-artificial-liver-device/