Development of the UTOpiA system, an integrated extracorporeal circuit combining HLA-depleted human iPSC-derived liver organoids with granulocyte-monocyte apheresis (GMA).
Demonstration of significant survival benefits and liver function improvements in rat models of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and acute liver failure (ALF) using UTOpiA compared to monotherapies.
Mechanistic insights reveal that iHLC-secreted alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promotes hepatocyte regeneration by modulating cell cycle arrest and inflammatory cytokines.
Potential clinical impact as an off-the-shelf liver support system addressing the critical unmet need of hepatic synthetic dysfunction and systemic inflammation in severe liver failure.
