Acute liver failure (ALF) plasma has cytotoxic effects on the cell-loaded
bioreactor in
bioartificial liver support systems due to the presence of innumerable hepatotoxic compounds that adversely affect the morphology and functionality of the cells. We have designed a hybrid
bioreactor that integrates a hepatic cell-loaded
cryogel disc and an activated
carbon cloth in one compact unit, with potential application as a
bioartificial liver support. In this article, we assess the performance of this integrated hybrid
cryogel-based
bioreactor in a perfusion-based culture system and analyze its functionality and longevity in the presence of intermittent exposure to ALF plasma. The
bioreactor maintained functionality in terms of
glucose consumption and
albumin synthesis for up to 40 days under perfusion. Additionally, intermittent perfusion of plasma from rodent models of ALF resulted in a decrease in viability and functionality only after the second spike of plasma, with the
bioreactor maintaining its functionality even after the first spike. Similar results were obtained with patient plasma indicating the potential to reuse the
bioreactor for multiple sessions of liver dialysis. Collectively, these results suggest the potential of the integrated
cryogel-based
bioreactor to be used at most twice before being disposed of. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 259-269, 2018.