Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0239946 (liver fibrosis)
 8,268 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Despite its numerous limitations, liver transplants are the only definite cure for end-stage liver disease. Various stem cell populations may contribute to liver regeneration, of which there is accumulating evidence of the contribution of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This study examines the hypothesis that repeated infusions of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMMSCs)can improve liver injury in an experimental model. MSCs were intravenously transplanted into immunosuppressed mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis. Transplanting 3x10(6) MSCs in three divided doses improved survival,liver fibrosis and necrosis compared with injection of the same number of MSCs in a single dose. This was accompanied by increased influence on the expression of the fibrogenic/fibrolytic related genes Col1a1, Timp1 and Mmp13 in the repeated transplant group. Repeat administration of MSCs was three times more effective in homing of PKH-tagged transplanted cells 3 weeks post-transplant compared with the single transplant group. The benefits of repeated transplants may be of considerable significance in clinical trials on liver failure.
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PMID:Repeated versus single transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice. 2340 11

Stem cells have opened a new avenue to treat liver fibrosis. We investigated in vitro and in vivo the effect of cytokine (HGF and FGF4) pretreated MSCs in reduction of CCl4 liver injury. Mouse MSCs were pretreated with cytokines to improve their ability to reduce CCl4 injury. In vitro we gave CCl4 injury to mouse hepatocytes and cocultured it with untreated and cytokines pretreated MSCs. For in vivo study we labeled MSCs with PKH-26 and transplanted them into CCl4 injured mice by direct injection into liver. In vitro data showed that cytokines pretreated MSCs significantly reduce LDH level and apoptotic markers in CCl4 injured hepatocytes cocultured model. Furthermore the cytokines pretreated MSCs also improved cell viability and enhanced hepatic and antiapoptotic markers in injured hepatocytes cocultured model as compared to untreated MSCs. In vivo data in cytokines pretreated group demonstrated greater homing of MSCs in liver, restored glycogen storage, and significant reduction in collagen, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin levels. TUNEL assay and real time PCR also supported our hypothesis. Therefore, cytokines pretreated MSCs were shown to have a better therapeutic potential on reduction of liver injury. These results demonstrated the potential utility of this novel idea of cytokines pretreated MSCs for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
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PMID:Mesenchymal Stem Cells Pretreated with HGF and FGF4 Can Reduce Liver Fibrosis in Mice. 2568 59