Engineering Therapies for Hepatic Failure

Liver disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, which, according to Hommond et al. (2006), affects 25 million patients in the United States and results in over 25,000 deaths per year. There are many conditions that lead to acute or chronic liver failure. Acute causes include acetaminophen overdose, reaction to medications, and ingestion of toxins, such as poisonous mushrooms. Chronic causes include viral infections, such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, long-term alcohol consumption, and genetic or acquired conditions, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson's disease. Patients suffering from liver failure experience jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and encephalopathy secondary to bilirubin accumulation, bleeding diatheses secondary to loss of the liver's ability to produce coagulation factors, and generalized edema (anasarca) due to the failed liver's inability to produce proteins. Currently the only available curative therapy for patients suffering from liver failure is liver transplantation.