Published online Feb 26, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i6.1224
Peer-review started: October 10, 2022
First decision: October 28, 2022
Revised: November 28, 2022
Accepted: February 2, 2023
Article in press: February 2, 2023
Published online: February 26, 2023
Processing time: 136 Days and 15.6 Hours
Approximately 1.5 billion chronic liver disease (CLD) cases have been estimated worldwide, encompassing a wide range of liver damage severities. Moreover, liver disease causes approximately 1.75 million deaths per year. CLD is typically characterized by the silent and progressive deterioration of liver parenchyma due to an incessant inflammatory process, cell death, over deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, and dysregulated regeneration. Overall, these processes impair the correct function of this vital organ. Cirrhosis and liver cancer are the main complications of CLD, which accounts for 3.5% of all deaths worldwide. Liver transplantation is the optimal therapeutic option for advanced liver damage. The liver is one of the most common organs transplanted; however, only 10% of liver transplants are successful. In this context, regenerative medicine has made significant progress in the design of biomaterials, such as collagen matrix scaffolds, to address the limitations of organ transplantation (e.g., low donation rates and biocompatibility). Thus, it remains crucial to continue with experimental and clinical studies to validate the use of collagen matrix scaffolds in liver disease.
Core Tip: The relevance of this review-opinion focuses on new strategies of regenerative medicine and the use of collagen matrix scaffolds as an option in the field of chronic liver disease (fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma). Collagen matrix scaffold can be used as a niche for native or stem cells and as a carrier for antineoplastic drugs; these strategies exhibit the potential to restore liver function and address problems associated with the scarcity of organ donors.