VitaGen: A human approach to liver

VitaGen Inc. is using human liver cells derived from an immortalized cell line to treat patients with either acute or chronic liver failure. Although porcine cells are more frequently used, the company believes that by using human cells, its ELAD artificial liver device could offer advantages in the amount of time therapy can be delivered and in the amount of liver cells used in treatment.

ELAD uses two-chambered hollow-fiber cartridges containing immortalized liver cells. The cartridges may be installed in a continuous kidney dialysis-like machine...