The liver and spleen are major biological barriers to translating nanomedicines because they sequester the majority of administered nanomaterials and prevent delivery to diseased tissue. Here we examined the blood clearance mechanism of administered hard nanomaterials in relation to blood flow dynamics, organ microarchitecture, and cellular phenotype. We found that nanomaterial velocity reduces 1000-fold as they enter and traverse the liver, leading to 7.5 times more nanomaterial interaction with hepatic cells relative to peripheral cells. In the liver, Kupffer cells (84.8%±6.4%), hepatic B cells (81.5±9.3%), and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (64.6±13.7%) interacted with administered PEGylated quantum dots but splenic macrophages took up less (25.4±10.1%) due to differences in phenotype. The uptake patterns were similar for two other nanomaterial types and five different surface chemistries. Potential new strategies to overcome off-target nanomaterial accumulation may involve manipulating intra-organ flow dynamics and modulating cellular phenotype to alter hepatic cell interaction.

Tumor differentiation and cancer-related symptoms of HCC can be used to select patients with advanced HCC who are appropriate candidates for liver transplantation; alpha-fetoprotein level limitations should be incorporated in the listing criteria for patients within or beyond the Milan criteria. (Hepatology 2016;64:2077-2088).

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The European trial investigating normothermic ex vivo liver perfusion (NEVLP) as a preservation technique for liver transplantation (LT) uses gelofusine, a non-US Food and Drug Administration-approved, bovine-derived, gelatin-based perfusion solution. We report a safety and feasibility clinical NEVLP trial with human albumin-based Steen solution. Transplant outcomes of 10 human liver grafts that were perfused on the Metra device at 37 °C with Steen solution, plus 3 units of erythrocytes were compared with a matched historical control group of 30 grafts using cold storage (CS) as the preservation technique. Ten liver grafts were perfused for 480 minutes (340-580 minutes). All livers cleared lactate (final lactate 1.46 mmol/L; 0.56-1.74 mmol/L) and produced bile (61 mL; 14-146 mL) during perfusion. No technical problems occurred during perfusion, and all NEVLP-preserved grafts functioned well after LT. NEVLP versus CS had lower aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase values on postoperative days 1-3 without reaching significance. No difference in postoperative graft function between NEVLP and CS grafts was detected as measured by day 7 international normalized ratio (1.1 [1-1.56] versus 1.1 [1-1.3]; P = 0.5) and bilirubin (1.5; 1-7.7 mg/dL versus 2.78; 0.4-15 mg/dL; P = 0.5). No difference was found in the duration of intensive care unit stay (median, 1 versus 2 days; range, 0-8 versus 0-23 days; P = 0.5) and posttransplant hospital stay (median, 11 versus 13 days; range, 8-17 versus 7-89 days; P = 0.23). Major complications (Dindo-Clavien ≥ 3b) occurred in 1 patient in the NEVLP group (10%) compared with 7 (23%) patients in the CS group (P = 0.5). No graft loss or patient death was observed in either group. Liver preservation with normothermic ex vivo perfusion with the Metra device using Steen solution is safe and results in comparable outcomes to CS after LT. Using US Food and Drug Administration-approved Steen solution will avoid a potential regulatory barrier in North America. Liver Transplantation 22 1501-1508 2016 AASLD.