Current status of cell-based therapies in liver diseases

Major strides have bee; made during the past 10 years in the fields of liver cell transplantation and liver-directed gene therapy. Pre-clinical studies in animals have shown that primary hepatocytes transplanted into the liver as well as intravenously transfused bone marrow stem cells can generate new liver tissue. Such cell transplantation studies have contributed to our understanding of organogenesis and hepatocyte biology. Furthermore, transplantation of xenogenic hepatocytes has led to the development of new small animal models for studying viral hepatitis. In the clinical setting, liver cell transplantation offers a wide range of potential therapeutic applications, especially in metabolic diseases. In particular, the case of a patient with Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type I clearly demonstrated the long-term viability of transplanted hepatocytes with stable metabolic function. Further studies are warranted to assess the full potential of cell-based therapies and their clinical application.