This is the first prospective, randomized, controlled trial of an extracorporeal liver support system, demonstrating safety and improved survival in patients with fulminant/subfulminant hepatic failure.

The authors' clinical experience with the BAL has yielded encouraging results. A randomized, controlled, prospective trial (phase II-III) is being initiated to determine the efficacy of the system.

Diabetic complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and renal and cardiovascular disease continue to pose major health risks for diabetic patients. Consequently, much effort has focused on approaches that could replace conventional insulin therapy and provide more precise regulation of blood glucose levels. The biohybrid perfused artificial pancreas was designed to incorporate islet tissue and a selectively permeable membrane that isolates this tissue from the immune system of the recipient. Biohybrid pancreas devices containing canine islet allografts were implanted in ten pancreatectomized dogs requiring 18 to 32 units of injected insulin daily. These implants resulted in good control of fasting glucose levels in six of these animals without further exogenous insulin for periods of up to 5 months.

Work supported by a du Pont Young Faculty Grant.

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