Stem Cells Transplantation in the Treatment of Patients with Liver Failure

Title:Stem Cells Transplantation in the Treatment of Patients with Liver Failure

Volume: 13 Issue: 3

Author(s): Ya-Chao Tao, Meng-Lan Wang, En-Qiang Chen*Hong Tang*

Affiliation:

• Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041,China

• Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041,China

Keywords: Cell transplantation, liver failure, mesenchymal stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, treatment, efficacy.

Abstract: Background: Liver failure is a life-threatening liver disease encompassing severe acute deterioration of liver function. Emergency liver transplantation is the only curative treatment for liver failure, but is restricted by the severe shortage of organ donors. Stem cell, including embroyonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells and hepatic progenitor cells, have capacity to proliferate and differentiate and could be used in a variety of liver diseases including hereditary liver diseases, cirrhosis and liver failure.

Objective: We summarized the basic experimental and clinical advances of stem cell transplantation in liver failure treatment, and also discussed the advantages and disadvantage of different stem cells subtype in this field, aiming to provide a perspective on the stem cell-based therapy for liver failure.

Results: Stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells (mainly low immunogenicity and paracrine characteristics) and induced pluripotent stem cells (generation of desired cell type from somatic cell), are feasible candidates for cell therapy in the treatment of liver failure, but there are some drawbacks remaining to be resolved, such as low engraftment, cryotpreservation methods and tumorigenesis.

Conclusion: Stem cell transplantation is a promising but challenging strategy and paves a new way for curing liver failure. But more efforts need to be made to overcome problems before this new strategy could be safely and effectively applied to humans.

Cite this article as:

Tao Ya-Chao , Wang Meng-Lan , Chen En-Qiang *, Tang Hong *, Stem Cells Transplantation in the Treatment of Patients with Liver Failure, Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2018; 13 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1574888X13666180105123915