PORCINE HEPATOCYTES FOR USE IN TREATMENT OF DISORDERS CHARACTERIZED BY INSUFFICIENT LIVER FUNCTION

摘要

Isolated porcine hepatocytes, isolated populations of such hepatocytes andmethods for using the hepatocytes to treat subjects with disorderscharacterized by insufficient liver function are described. The porcinehepatocytes can be either hepatocytes isolated from adult, immature, orembryonic swine. The porcine hepatocytes can be modified to be suitable fortransplantation into a xenogenic subject, for example, by altering an antigen(e.g., an MHC class I antigen) on the cell surface which is capable ofstimulating an immune response against the cell in the subject (e.g, bycontact with an anti-MHC class I antibody, or a fragment or derivativethereof). The isolated porcine hepatocytes of the invention can be used totreat disorders characterized by insufficient liver function by administeringthe hepatocytes to a subject having such a disorder.