Significant PICM-19H liver cell findings boost HepaLife's artificial liver device research

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., April 26 - HepaLife Technologies, Inc. said its PICM-19H liver cells have shown the ability to survive and remain intact following exposure to human plasma, a significant finding in artificial liver research.

A functional artificial liver device is expected to separate liver failure patients' plasma from whole blood, removing toxins from the plasma by way of the PICM-19H cells, according to a company news release.

"These favorable human plasma findings come to us on the heels of research that shows our cells are able to successfully survive for extended periods of time at variable temperatures, which would allow us to transport the most important and perishable component of an artificial liver device - the cells - around the country without special incubator equipment," president and chief executive officer Harmel S. Rayat stated in the release.

"Taken together, these outcomes confirm that our cell line is strong enough to survive under variable conditions, and will not degrade or deteriorate in an artificial liver device."

HepaLife said positive research findings related to the prolonged survival, density and function of its PICM-19H cell line were presented at the annual, National Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting.

HepaLife, based in Vancouver, B.C., is a development stage biotechnology company specializing in products for liver toxicity detection and the treatment of liver dysfunction and disease.

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