Catheter-based stem cell delivery for liver repair: Getting it there is half the battle

摘要

Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol consumption, and other chronic liver diseases lead to the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis characterized pathologically by rings of scar tissue that circumscribe areas of injury and interfere with liver function. Because this fibrosis has been considered to be irreversible, the therapy of choice is liver transplantation. However, more recent preclinical evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be delivered to the liver, where they engraft. Once engrafted, MSCs can differentiate into hepatocytes or serve as paracrine cells that promote the proliferation of endogenous hepatocytes or matrix remodeling (1).