Hemodialysis - the Artificial Kidney - with about 60 Mio. treatments of renal insufficiency per year cannot remove protein-bound toxins which must be metabolized by the liver. Other methods, like plasma perfusion over adsorbents, are not accepted because of secondary complications. The best survival rates in hepatic failure occur by liver transplantation. However, at a cost of about 200.000 US$, this is the most expensive alternative.

The MARS® Therapy from Rostock, Germany, is a new combination of Liver and Kidney dialysis. The patientsï blood flows through a catheter and an extracorporeal circuit with a hemodialyzer containing a special hollow fiber membrane. The other side of this membrane is cleansed by a recirculating albumin solution.

Since the "liver toxins" are transported by strict protein binding, this mechanism produces the driving force for these toxins to pass the MARS® membrane. The albumin solution is then on-line regenerated. After this, the membrane can be cleansed again by the purified Albumin solution. This principle allows the replacement of the liver's detoxification function, which, when absent in liver failure, is primarily life threatening.

After performing intensive laboratory investigations the system was transferred into clinical application. Patients suffering from liver diseases often developing additional organ failure (e.g. kidney failure), the endogenous accumulation of protein-bound toxins becomes life threatening. A clinical example is that of jaundice, which indicates bilirubin accumulation. Often, it is accompanied by secondary injuries like internal bleeding and decreased capacity of protein synthesis. The mortality of liver failure associated with kidney failure and/or coma is about 90%. Treatments with MARS® have shown an decrease of mortality up to 30%.

The first patients were treated at the Department for Internal Medicine at the University of Rostock. Until now 70 patients have been treated in medical centers all over Germany (Rostock, Kiel, Regensburg, Munich, Traunstein, Hannover, Tübingen, Murnau) and as well in South Korea (Ajou University at Suwon) and in the United States (Ann Arbor).

The company is certified according to DIN ISO 9001 and the european guideline 93-42 EEC.

Visit the TERAKLIN Medizinprodukte GmbH stand, No 11 A 51 to watch MARS®.