New horizons for stem cell therapy in liver disease

There is an increasing range of potential applications of stem cells in liver diseases, with many clinical studies already undertaken. We identify four of the main areas which we propose stem cell therapy could be a realistic aim for in the future: (1) to improve regeneration and reduce scarring in liver cirrhosis by modulating the liver's own regenerative processes, (2) to down-regulate immune mediated liver damage, (3) supplying hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from stem cells for use in extracorporeal bioartificial liver machines, and (4) to use stem cell derived HLCs for cell transplantation to supplement or replace hepatocyte function. (C) 2011 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.