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Progress in research of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into functional hepatocytes
Guo-Zun Zhang, Chun-Sheng Li, Xiao-Lan Zhang
Guo-Zun Zhang, Xiao-Lan Zhang, Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, , Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
Chun-Sheng Li, Department of Internal Medicine, Hebei Shunping Hospital, Shunping 072250, Hebei Province, China
Correspondence to: Xiao-Lan Zhang, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China. xiaolanzh@126.com
Received: December 23, 2011 Revised: March 15, 2012 Accepted: April 17, 2012 Published online: May 18, 2012
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a group of stem cells deriving from mesodermal mesenchyme. They can be recovered from a variety of tissues, including bone marrow, umbilical cord tissue, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood and adipose tissue. Under given conditions, MSCs can differentiate into bone, fat, nerve cells, hepatocytes and many other cells, and thus can be used as a new treatment to substitute for organ transplantation. In recent years, the incidence of end-stage liver disease has been increasing and it has become one of the major diseases affecting human health. Donor scarcity and immunological rejection limit the clinical application of liver transplantation. Numerous studies have confirmed the therapeutic effects of MSCs on hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and other liver diseases, which may be related to the differentiation of MSCs into functional hepatocytes. This paper reviews the capacity, regulation and molecular mechanism of MSC differentiation and discusses the therapeutic effects of different sources of stem cells for liver fibrosis.
Citation: Zhang GZ, Li CS, Zhang XL. Progress in research of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into functional hepatocytes. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2012; 20(14): 1216-1221
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