Can liver fibrosis be reversed? 5 major mechanisms of stem cell intervention in liver fibrosis!
Liver fibrosis is a pathological process in which the connective tissue in the liver is abnormally proliferated. Generally speaking, the appearance of liver fibrosis is due to the excessive proliferation of extracellular matrix in the liver tissue, and the degradation rate in the body cannot keep up, resulting in liver lesions.
Liver fibrosis can be reversed and repaired if properly controlled
Liver fibrosis is an inevitable stage for the development of chronic liver disease to liver cirrhosis. If liver fibrosis is not intervened in time, it will further develop into liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Liver fibrosis is not an independent disease, and many clinical liver diseases are accompanied by the process of liver fibrosis, such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver, fatty liver and so on. Liver disease causes liver damage to aggravate, and cells in the body are damaged and need to be repaired continuously, eventually leading to the appearance of liver fibrosis. However, if it can be treated as soon as possible, the disease can be controlled, and liver damage can be alleviated, liver fibrosis can be reversed and repaired.
Current status of treatment of liver fibrosis
The "Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Fibrosis (2019)" pointed out that there is no specific and effective anti-hepatic fibrosis treatment in clinical practice. At present, the clinical treatment methods for liver fibrosis mainly focus on the treatment of the cause. The treatment methods mainly include the treatment of the primary disease, the control of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and the regulation of the synthesis/degradation balance of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Wait. Most of these therapies delay the development of liver fibrosis by repairing liver damage, delay the occurrence of liver cirrhosis and its decompensation, thereby improving the quality of life and prolonging life of patients.
Stem cells intervene in liver disease
In recent years, with the deepening of stem cell research, stem cells, a cell population with self-renewal, replication and multi-directional differentiation potential, have shown amazing potential in the field of intervention in human diseases. Therefore, many scholars of liver disease have also turned their attention to stem cell therapy. Up to now, a number of research results have shown that stem cells can differentiate into functionally active hepatocytes under specific circumstances, which can participate in the repair and reconstruction of liver function, and achieve effective intervention in liver diseases.
Five mechanisms of stem cell intervention in liver fibrosis
- Differentiation and regeneration into hepatocytes. After entering the human body, stem cells can migrate to the damaged liver tissue through the homing effect, differentiate and regenerate into new liver cells, replace the original damaged cells, relieve liver damage, and help the repair and regeneration of liver function.
2, secrete a variety of cytokines. Stem cells have the effect of paracrine various cytokines, and these cell growth factors can interact with each other in the environment of liver injury, showing anti-inflammatory effect, thereby promoting liver cell regeneration;
Cell fusion. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells can also directly fuse with the original liver cells after entering the human body to promote the proliferation process of the original liver cells.
Anti-fibrosis. Mesenchymal stem cells can degrade extracellular matrix through high expression of matrix metalloproteinases, and directly degrade excess extracellular matrix in the liver, thereby reducing liver fibrosis;
5, immune regulation. Stem cells have the function of immune regulation, which can micro-regulate the internal environment of the liver by inhibiting immune cells, which can reduce the damage of liver tissue caused by the inflammatory response.
Summary and Outlook
At present, a large number of animal experiments have shown that stem cell therapy performs well in anti-hepatic fibrosis, and stem cell therapy intervention in liver fibrosis is gradually transitioning to clinical research. With the further research of scientists, it is believed that stem cell intervention in liver fibrosis may achieve the popularization of clinical application and become a new hope for the majority of liver fibrosis patients. What do you think of it? Welcome to forward and leave a message!