Liver diseases caused by various factors have become a significant threat to publichealth worldwide. Liver transplantation has been considered as the only effectivetreatment for end-stage liver diseases;however, it is limited by the shortage ofdonor organs, postoperative complications, long-term immunosuppression, andhigh cost of treatment. Thus, it is not available for all patients. Recently,mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation has been extensively explored forrepairing hepatic injury in various liver diseases. MSCs are multipotent adultprogenitor cells originated from the embryonic mesoderm, and can be found inmesenchymal tissues including the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adiposetissue, liver, lung, and others. Although the precise mechanisms of MSC transplantationremain mysterious, MSCs have been demonstrated to be able toprevent the progression of liver injury and improve liver function. MSCs can selfrenewby dividing, migrating to injury sites and differentiating into multiple celltypes including hepatocytes. Additionally, MSCs have immune-modulatoryproperties and release paracrine soluble factors. Indeed, the safety and effectivenessof MSC therapy for liver diseases have been demonstrated in animals.However, pre-clinical and clinical trials are largely required to confirm its safetyand efficacy before large scale clinical application. In this review, we will explorethe molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects of MSCs on liverdiseases. We also summarize clinical advances in MSC-based therapies.
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