Evaluation of primary human liver cells in bioreactor cultures for extracorporeal liver support on the basis of urea production.

Primary human liver cells from donor organs unsuitable for transplantation were cultivated in bioreactors developed for extracorporeal liver support. Because each system contains cells originating from an individual organ, each bioreactor culture must be individually characterized. The objective of this study was to identify suitable decisive parameters for the evaluation of cell culture performance.

Use of primary human liver cells originating from discarded grafts in a bioreactor for liver support therapy and the prospects of culturing adult liver stem cells in bioreactors: a morphologic study.

Introduction: The development of a bioreactor providing a three-dimensional network of interwoven capillary membranes with integrated oxygenation and decentralized mass exchange enables the culture of primary human liver cells from discarded donor organs for extracorporeal liver support.

Methods: Primary liver cells were isolated from 54 discarded organs (donor age 56.7+/-13.