Incara cell line could speed artificial liver:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Incara Pharmaceuticals is to be awarded a patent on an isolated hepatocyte precursor cell, which can differentiate into a hepatocyte. It plans to inject these cells, which have the potential to grow into functioning liver tissue, into patients as an alternative to whole organ transplant or for patients ruled out for that procedure. Such a cell line would also have potential for those companies presently researching the development of a bioartificial liver device.