Stem Cells Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stem Cells, including details on research, transplants, therapy, benefits.

Stem cells for the treatment of liver disease.

Allen KJ, Buck NE, Williamson R

Liver Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia.

Stem cells tantalise. They alone have the capacity to divide exponentially, recreate the stem cell compartment as well as create differentiated cells to build tissues. They should be the natural candidates to provide a renewable source of cells for transplantation. Does the reality support the promise of this exciting alternative to conventional therapies for metabolic and degenerative liver disease? Can techniques be developed to provide the large number of cells that could be required? Must there be "space" in the liver to accept the cells? To what extent is the liver immunoprivileged, and is immunosuppression necessary for stem cell therapy? Is it better to use haematopoietic stem cells, fetal stem cells, mesenchymal cells, embryonic stem cells, hepatocytes or all of the above, but for different disease indications? This paper discusses why the exploration of stem cells for the treatment of liver disease is of great potential, and delineates some of the hurdles that need to be overcome before patients see benefits from laboratory-based research into stem cell transplantation and function.

Published 17 January 2006 in Transpl Immunol, 15(2): 99-112.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Stem Cells Research Today. All Rights Reserved.