HepaLife's liver cells detect acetaminophen poisoning

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., June 13 - HepaLife Technologies, Inc. said its PICM-19 embryonic liver stem cells have successfully demonstrated acetaminophen toxicity, a critical step for the integration of these cells into proprietary toxicology testing platforms being developed by HepaLife to identify chemicals and compounds that cause damage to the liver.

Acetaminophen, a popular over-the-counter and prescription painkiller found in many medications, can become toxic and cause serious damage to the liver when consumed in high doses, or in combination with other drugs or alcohol.

The company said researchers have demonstrated the ability of HepaLife's PICM-19 cells to mimic the human liver cell's natural response to acetaminophen poisoning, a response enhanced through exposure to alcohol in recent experiments.

Acetaminophen overdose is now the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, accounting for 50,000 emergency room visits and 42% of liver failures, the company said.

HepaLife Technologies is a development-stage biotechnology company based in Vancouver, B.C.

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