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A patient with end-stage liver disease will soon benefit from a revolutionary experimental therapy. This therapy, developed by the company LyGenesis, consists of injecting liver cells into the lymph nodes, where they will multiply to create a miniature liver. The latter can thus support the function of the diseased liver and prevent the patient from succumbing to liver failure.
The liver is an essential organ of the body, performing dozens of vital functions. It filters the blood and ensures the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins while secreting bile, essential for digestion. Not only does it help eliminate toxins (which are naturally produced by the body or provided by food), but it is also where the body’s energy is stored. He also has a powerful regenerative ability, allowing him to repair himself as he wears down while performing his duties.
An unhealthy lifestyle (alcohol, too fatty and/or too sweet foods) can, however, impair its regenerative powers and lead to incurable diseases. Then a liver transplant should be considered. The low availability of organs and the general state of health of the patients, however, limit this option. That’s why the Pittsburgh-based company LyGenesis has developed an alternative treatment: It’s not about replacing the diseased liver, but about growing Live — inside the patient’s body — mini-livers capable of performing the same functions.
One to five additional mini livers
It should be noted that it is not about transplanting healthy liver cells directly into the patient’s liver: in most cases, patients have cirrhosis and fibrosis, which offers little chance of transplant success. We’re talking about creating an additional site for liver function, here in the lymph nodes. LyGenesis takes advantage of the evolutionary role of lymph nodes, which are efficient bioreactors for T cells in the event of infection.
Tested on animals (including mice and pigs), the approach has shown dramatic results. Injection of liver cells each time resulted in long-term survival of the animals. ” Over time, the lymph node completely disappears, and what remains is a highly vascular miniature liver that supports native liver function, helping to filter the animal’s blood supply. “Dr. Hufford said MIT Technology Review.
LyGenesis is ready to test its cell therapy for the first time in humans: a Boston patient with end-stage liver disease, who is not eligible for a liver transplant. This will be the first volunteer in this clinical trial with 12 adults in the same situation. These will be divided into three groups, each of which will receive different doses: 50 million, 150 million or 250 million liver cells, which will give rise to 1 to 5 additional mini-livers, and the scientists estimate that an organoid can develop at from 50 million cells onwards. average.
The cells will be injected directly into the lymph nodes through outpatient endoscopy, a procedure that significantly reduces medical costs and risks compared to a whole organ transplant. Next, all patients will undergo immunosuppressive treatment to prevent their body from rejecting these mini-livers; They will be followed for a year to assess the effectiveness and safety of the therapy.
An immunosuppressive treatment that could become useless
The trials are expected to last less than two years. If the results are conclusive, LyGenesis scientists hope to obtain the same results with other organs, such as the pancreas, thymus and kidneys, thus offering a solution to many life-threatening diseases.
This approach not only offers a much less invasive treatment than a transplant, but also offers a solution to the organ shortage. According to the Federation of Associations for Human Organ and Tissue Donation, in 2020, 26,000 people in France were waiting for a transplant, but only 4,421 transplants were performed, more than 900 patients did not survive the wait.
Keep in mind that transplanted cells can be collected from donated organs deemed unsuitable for transplantation, and each can theoretically provide enough cells for at least 75 people to benefit from the therapy.
This therapy may soon be further improved: LyGenesis recently announced a research collaboration with iTolerance, a regenerative medicine company, to develop an approach that eliminates the need for lifelong immunosuppression. The two partners are currently working on a product based on “a microgel immunotolerance platform”, which, combined with LyGenesis cell therapy, could allow the growth of ectopic livers without immunosuppressants. The product is currently tested on animals.