Stem Cells and Liver Disease

Abstract

Liver transplantation is the primary treatment for various end-stage hepatic diseases but is hindered by the lack of donor organs, complications associated with rejection and immunosuppression. An increasingly unbridgeable gap exists between the supply and demand of transplantable organs. Hence stem cell research and regenerative medicine have the potential to revolutionize the future of medicine with the ability to regenerate damaged and diseased organs. Stem cells serving as a repair system for the body, can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells. These cells could relieve the symptoms of liver disease or the genetic error could potentially be corrected by gene therapy. In cases of acute liver failure in adults, stem cell therapies might be used to support the liver, allowing it time to recover.