Funding provided to develop new therapy for acute liver failure

BRC-supported researcher Dr Kevin Mills has been awarded funding from the NIHR to investigate the regenerative ability of the liver following acute liver failure (ALF). If successful, the team hope that their research will lead to a novel therapy that could buy patients enough time to allow their livers to regenerate naturally, avoiding the need for liver transplantsThis research will be led by Professor Anil Dhawan at Kings College London in collaboration with Dr Mills at UCL Institute of Child Health. Specifically, the team aim to develop a novel technique where human liver cells grown in the lab are encapsulated in a material called alginate and delivered to a patient to help their ailing liver regenerate. Encasing the liver cells in alginate is particularly important as it reduces the need for immunosuppression.

Studies in the lab will focus on the feasibility of this novel therapy under lab conditions.