RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-Incara Pharmaceuticals Corp. has announced plans to use liver cells in its liver precursor cell transplant program that come from livers that are ineligible for solid-organ transplantation.
The company said on March 28 it had reached an agreement with an organ procurement organization that will supply the company with livers from non-heart-beating donors; solid livers for transplantation must come from brain-dead patients whose hearts are still beating. Incara emphasized that its program will not complete with existing liver transplant programs for livers.
Incara hopes to begin human clinical trials next year in which viable liver precursor cells isolated from the donated livers would be intravenously infused into adults with liver failure and children with life-threatening inborn errors of metabolism. Preclinical testing has suggested that one liver could provide enough cells for several recipients.
"Incara anticipates that the precursor cells would take up residence in the patient, grow and differentiate into the full repertoire of liver cells, restoring liver function to the patient….The company believes that this procedure could offer a safer, faster, more available, and less costly therapy for patients who need liver transplantation," Incara said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the company announced on March 27 that it had received a patent for an isolated hepatocyte precursor capable of differentiating into a hepatocyte. Hepatocyte precursors include liver stem cells and can mature into functioning liver tissue.
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Statements are posted at www.incara.com/livdonor.htm and www.incara.com/prlpcpat.htm.
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