{"id":47216,"date":"2000-02-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-02-18T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/02\/18\/results-published-in-journal-science\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:55:58","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:55:58","slug":"results-published-in-journal-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/02\/18\/results-published-in-journal-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Results Published in journal Science"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/FONT><\/U><\/I><\/p>\n


UNMC Researcher, Colleagues Develop New Cell Transplantation<\/p>\n

Method That May Help Fight Off  Liver Failure<\/FONT><\/B><\/p>\n


 <\/p>\n


Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)\/Massachusetts Institute<\/p>\n

of Technology (MIT), along with colleagues at the University of Nebraska<\/p>\n

Medical Center, Okayama University Medical School in Japan and Genetix<\/p>\n

Pharmaceuticals have developed a method of genetically manipulating liver<\/p>\n

cells to help prevent acute organ failure. By temporarily helping to stave<\/p>\n

off liver failure, the new therapy may allow patients to survive longer<\/p>\n

for a suitable organ for transplant surgery or for spontaneous recovery<\/p>\n

of their liver disease.  The findings are published in the Feb. 18<\/p>\n

issue of the journal, Science.<\/p>\n

Transplantation of isolated human liver cells has been used in the<\/p>\n

past in patients with life-threatening liver failure. A major limitation<\/p>\n

of this form of therapy was the inability to isolate an adequate number<\/p>\n

of transplantable liver cells said Philippe Leboulch, M.D., one of the<\/p>\n

principal investigators and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School<\/p>\n

and MIT. We now have devised a gene transfer strategy in which an immortalizing<\/p>\n

gene is introduced into healthy liver cells to allow them to divide actively<\/p>\n

in culture outside the body.<\/p>\n

Dr. Leboulch said researchers were able to remove the gene permanently<\/p>\n

so that normal human liver cells could be transplanted in large numbers<\/p>\n

without the potential danger of keeping the immortalizing gene in the body.<\/p>\n

This novel procedure is called Reversible Immortalization.<\/p>\n

“The critical need for organ donors continues to force us to look at<\/p>\n

new ways of solving problems in transplantation,” said co-principal investigator,<\/p>\n

Ira Fox, M.D., associate professor of surgery and a transplant surgeon<\/p>\n

at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Health System.<\/p>\n

“This work will hopefully help us develop alternative ways of treating<\/p>\n

patients with liver failure and, if we’re lucky, the technology may apply<\/p>\n

to the treatment of patients with other medical conditions as well.”<\/p>\n

Naoya Kobayashi, M.D., first author of the study, now at Okayama University,<\/p>\n

started the research in Nebraska and then returned to Japan and showed<\/p>\n

that the reversibly immortalized liver cells were able to function remarkably<\/p>\n

well after injection in rats with acute liver failure. Whereas all control<\/p>\n

animals died within three days, 60 percent of the treated animals survived. <\/p>\n

The reversibly immortalized human liver cells were able to bridge life<\/p>\n

in these animals until their own liver could regenerate and take over.<\/p>\n

The liver is the largest and one of the most complex organs in the<\/p>\n

body, Dr. Leboulch said. It converts our food into molecules necessary<\/p>\n

for life and growth, it produces essential coagulation factors, and it<\/p>\n

detoxifies and excretes substances that otherwise would be poisonous. For<\/p>\n

patients who suffer from terminal liver disease, the novel gene transfer<\/p>\n

strategy of reversible immortalization may one day be a vital bridge of<\/p>\n

life as they await an organ transplant.<\/p>\n

It is estimated that 25 million Americans are or have been afflicted<\/p>\n

with liver diseases.  According to the American Liver Foundation,<\/p>\n

4,318 liver transplants were performed in 1998.  But because of the<\/p>\n

shortage of organs, it is estimated that 1,327 patients on the U.S. waiting<\/p>\n

list died in 1998 while waiting for a liver transplant.<\/p>\n

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,<\/p>\n

UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for<\/p>\n

cancer research and treatment, solid organ transplantation and arthritis.<\/p>\n

Nearly $31 million in research grants and contracts were awarded to UNMC<\/p>\n

scientists during the past fiscal year. In addition, UNMCs educational<\/p>\n

programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing<\/p>\n

in Nebraska than any other institution.<\/p>\n


 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UNMC Researcher, Colleagues Develop New Cell Transplantation Method That May Help Fight Off  Liver Failure   Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)\/Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along with colleagues at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Okayama University Medical School in Japan and Genetix Pharmaceuticals have developed a method of genetically manipulating liver cells 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