UAE professor develops bio-artificial liver

A professor in the United Arab Emirates has developed what has been described as the first bio-artificial liver in the country, which could ultimately save thousands of lives, UAE daily Khaleej Times has reported.

While there are no organ facilities in the UAE, the model can be taken to the patient, wherever they are.

“Once the bio-artificial liver is available, it will work as a bridge for patients who are on the waiting list to receive a liver transplant. This will work as a short-term stop-gap option until they receive the transplant,” Dr Hilal Al Naqbi told local daily Khaleej Times.

The artificial liver is currently being tested on a rat following a series of successful in-lab experiments, the report added.

While it may take between seven and 10 years for the bio-artificial liver to be available on the market, Naqbi said the tests were already yielding “good results on the animal.”

“It may take us between one to three years to start a clinical trial,” he added.

The UAE professor started working on this model in 2011 and received a patent for his work in 2014.