Application of mesenchymal stem cells in liver fibrosis and regeneration

Zhenyu Liu; Junkai Ren; Cheng Qiu; Ying Wang; Tong Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.livres.2024.11.004

Liver Research ›› 2024, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (4) :246 -258. DOI: 10.1016/j.livres.2024.11.004

Review article

research-article

Application of mesenchymal stem cells in liver fibrosis and regeneration

Zhenyu Liu ^a^,^b
, Junkai Ren ^c
, Cheng Qiu ^a^,^b
, Ying Wang ^a
, Tong Zhang ^a^,^b^,^*

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Abstract

Liver transplantation remains the most effective treatment for end-stage liver disease (ESLD), but it is fraught with challenges such as immunosuppression, high risk and cost, and donor shortage. In recent years, stem cell transplantation has emerged as a promising new strategy for ESLD treatment, with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) gaining significant attention because of their unique properties. MSCs can regulate signaling pathways, including hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met, Wnt/beta (β)-catenin, Notch, transforming growth factor-β1/Smad, interleukin-6/Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PDK/Akt, thereby influencing the progression of liver fibrosis and regeneration. As a promising stem cell type, MSCs offer numerous advantages in liver disease treatment, including low immunogenicity; ease of acquisition; unlimited proliferative ability; pluripotent differentiation potential; immunomodulatory function; and anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and antiapoptotic biological characteristics. This review outlines the mechanisms by which MSCs reverse liver fibrosis and promote liver regeneration. MSCs are crucial in reversing liver fibrosis and repairing liver damage through the secretion of growth factors, regulation of signaling pathways, and modulation of immune responses. MSCs have shown good therapeutic effects in preclinical and clinical studies, providing new strategies for liver disease treatment. However, challenges still exist in the clinical application of MSCs, including low differentiation efficiency and limited sources. This review provides a reference for MSC application in liver disease treatment. With the continuous progress in MSC research, MSCs are expected to achieve breakthroughs in liver disease treatment, thereby improving patient treatment outcomes.

Keywords

Liver transplantation / End-stage liver disease (ESLD) / Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) / Liver regeneration / Liver fibrosis

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Zhenyu Liu, Junkai Ren, Cheng Qiu, Ying Wang, Tong Zhang. Application of mesenchymal stem cells in liver fibrosis and regeneration. Liver Research, 2024, 8(4): 246-258 DOI:10.1016/j.livres.2024.11.004

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Authors’ contributions

Zhenyu Liu: Writing original draft, Writing e review & editing. Junkai Ren: Writing e review & editing, Supervision. Cheng Qiu: Writing original draft. Ying Wang: Writing original draft. Tong Zhang: Writing e review & editing, Supervision, Resources.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

This work did not receive any speciﬁc grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-proﬁt sectors.

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