The Future of Liver Cirrhosis Treatment with Stem Cells in India

Posted by VAISHNAV KUMAR
6
Mar 2, 2017
186 Views

Liver diseases like liver cirrhosis are a very fatal disease and it happens due to serious injury to the liver because of which it loses its power of repairing itself. The reason behind the occurrence of liver cirrhosis is a mixture of different hepatic injuries, which shows pathogenic processes in order like chronic inflammation, followed by hepatocyte necrosis, and finally cirrhosis or fibrosis, which can be fatal. Liver transplant is probably the only liver cirrhosis treatment option available to patients. One of the most common questions that patients asks is whether regenerative medicine and treatment such as stem cell therapy can be useful for treating diseases like liver cirrhosis. Increasing need for transplants of the liver as well as shortage of donors calls for new therapeutic approaches, which are more effective for such conditions. Some of the recent studies have also shown some promise in this field.

Result of recent tests

Some of the recent tests have shown that stem cell therapy can reduce liver inflammation, restock hepatocytes, and also aids in improving scarring hepatocytes. A more precise understanding of stem cells of the liver is needed to develop an effective and safe stem cell therapy for liver cirrhosis treatment. Both iPSCs and embryonic cells are being used for making new hepatocytes. All this is done in controlled lab conditions. However, there are some questions that are still to be answered prior to using stem cell therapy in clinics. One of the main questions is that of safety of this kind of treatment.

Trials ongoing

Latest research is exploring the prospects of using cells extracted from bone marrow of the patient, which can help in repairing the damaged tissues of the liver. Cells that are so derived are known as macrophages, scientists are still studying how these cells help a liver. Research that are using such cells have shown promising result in animal models and have highlighted how these can be beneficial to reverse liver scarring and regenerate tissues of the liver. This ultimately improves functioning of the liver after administration of stem cells in liver cirrhosis treatment.

Preferable treatment options

One of the most preferable stem cells for liver cirrhosis treatment is mesenchymal cells, especially because of their multipotent capacity. Several clinical trials have also shown positive result by reversing liver damage caused due to drug therapies or chemo therapy. Mesenchymal cells, which are derived from autologous adipose tissues, are usually used in such stem cell therapy.

Although there are many confrontations regarding stem cell therapy being used for liver cirrhosis treatment, but with consistent development in this field the goals seems more realistic day by day. Now, researchers are studying the possibility of using adult stem cells, as these cells have shown the capability of functioning in new surroundings without being rejected. When introduced into the liver, these cells are expected to multiply and aid in boosting the functions of the liver, so that it can work normally again. Researchers are also working towards more effective therapies that would require less number of stem cells for treating the disease.

 

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