Stem cells for liver regeneration.
The liver has a unique capacity to repair following injury, which is largely achieved by proliferation of hepatocytes. However, in situations of chronic or overwhelming liver injury, additional repair mechanisms, namely liver progenitor or oval cells, are activated. These cells, located in the canals of Hering, express markers for both hepatocytes and biliary cells and have the capacity to differentiate down both hepatocyte and biliary lineages. Previous work has suggested that the administration of autologous or allogeneic cell therapies such as haematopoietic or mesenchymal stem cells can augment liver repair by either stimulating endogenous repair mechanisms or by suppressing ongoing damage. A better understanding of how cell therapies can promote liver regeneration will lead to the refinement of these therapeutic approaches and also develop new pharmacological agents for liver repair.
From the Centre for Liver Research & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Liver Diseases, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK sophiathan@nhs.net.
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From the Centre for Liver Research & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Liver Diseases, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor