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Liver fibrosis and stem cell therapy

XU Dong-sheng1, WAN Ai-ni1, CHEN Yun1, HE Yang2, YANG Jian-feng3, JIN Jian1   

  1. 1. Laboratory of Drug Design and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; 2. Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; 3. Cyrus Tang Hematology Center and Ministry of Education Engineering Center of Hematological Disease, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China

  • Online:2017-03-28 Published:2017-03-30
  • Supported by:

    National High-tech R&D Program of China, 863 Program, 2014AA021003

Abstract:

Liver fibrosis is a common chronic liver disease, which is a stress response process of liver cells affected by one or more pathogenies for long term or repeatedly. During the fibrosis process, massive accumulated extracellular matrix can form scar tissue, which results in liver dysfunction or failure and seriously endangers the health of people. According to many independent reports, stem cell therapy can facilitate the alleviation of liver fibrosis. During the stem cell therapy, stem cells migrate to the injury site of liver and alleviate the liver fibrosis by improving the microenvironment of the scar area via paracrine way. This article reviews the formation, treatment, and stem cell therapy of liver fibrosis.

Key words: liver fibrosis, stem cell, hepatocyte growth factor, paracrine