Stem Cell Therapy For Liver

Stem Cell Therapy for Hepatic Insufficiency and Liver Diseases

The liver is a vital organ (the second largest organ in the body), it is responsible for processing everything you eat and drink. It converts food and drinks into energy and nutrients for your body to use. It produces proteins that are important for the blood and clotting, it filters out harmful substances like toxins, metabolizes drugs and alcohol, removing them from our blood, and helping our body fight off infections.

When talking about hepatic/liver conditions there are many factors to consider that can put you at risk of developing an acute or chronic hepatic disease such as medications, genetics, alcohol, nutrition, etc. Which causes the liver to lower its ability to function properly. Hepatic conditions may cause the liver to stop its proper function. This is considered a very serious health condition and treatment is recommended urgently and in extreme cases a liver transplant may be suggested. Hepatic failure and conditions related to the liver are one of the main health problems around the world, which makes the treatment cost increase along with mortality rate. Hepatic insufficiency is a condition that may evolve either gradually or will occur suddenly. Symptoms may vary from patient to patient, some of them are not aware of the liver disease that they’re developing because they have no noticeable symptoms. When this happens the patient can develop Chronic Hepatic Failure if it’s not diagnosed on time. Also, one of the easiest ways to prevent liver failure is to primarily eliminate alcohol from the diet, but if not, moderate drinking levels. For healthy women and men over age of 65 it is recommended to limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day while healthy men under 65 should consume no more than two drinks per day.

Contact us to learn how stem cells can help

 What causes hepatic insufficiency?

Chronic liver failure occurs if the liver has lost most or all of its function. This condition can be caused by multiple factors such as a hepatitis infection, reaction to medications, alcohol abuse, advanced fatty liver, etc. But one of the most common causes is the result of cirrhosis, which is usually caused by long-term alcohol usage. Cirrhosis occurs when healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue.

Also, a liver may develop if a patient is in contact with hazardous chemicals or exposed to a virus it can affect the liver causing diseases like:

• Hepatitis B & C
• Liver Disease related to Alcohol
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Steatohepatitis
• Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Bile duct disease
• Metabolic diseases

Symptoms of Liver Disease:

As we mentioned previously, some patients may not develop symptoms, but other patients may present the following:

• Pain areas in the abdomen
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Yellow skin and eyes
• Water electrolyte imbalance
• Diarrhea
• Bruising or bleeding easily
• Edema, or fluid buildup in the legs
• Ascites, or fluid buildup in the abdomen
• Hair loss
• Itchy skin
• Dark urine or tar-colored stool
• Weakness or muscle loss
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Curling of fingers
• Spider-like veins

Some symptoms may be similar to other conditions or diseases making it harder to provide a proper diagnosis for liver failure.

Contact us to learn how stem cells can help

 Hepatic Insufficiency Treatment:

There are different types of treatments and medications for liver conditions which only focus on controlling the symptoms so that it doesn’t develop into a chronic disease, the medication will depend on the stage of the patient. When liver insufficiency is diagnosed in early stages, stem cells can be a good idea to improve efficiency of the organ. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are proven to have a high potential for liver regeneration. Stem cells engraft and differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells with the ability to colonize the liver after injury and function similarly to mature hepatocytes. These types of cells are in charge of the function and performance of the liver. Stem cells combined with proper diet modifications could stabilize the condition and prevent future complications and a liver transplant. It is recommended for the patient to avoid alcohol, high sodium, sugar, and saturated fats from their diet, and replace them with green leafy vegetables, healthy fats, and lean protein.

In cases when the diagnosis becomes liver failure, meaning there is too much scar tissue and very low function of the organ; stem cells have a hard time repairing the damaged tissue. Most likely the patient will get a recommendation of an organ transplant. Even though stem cells work very little on liver repair at this point, there are other benefits that should be taken into consideration. Circulatory stem cells help the rest of the organs stay in a better shape and as a consequence the complete body of the patient becomes a stronger recipient of the organ transplant. In addition, they offer another advantage: they have immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive properties that down-regulate T cell, B cell, and NK cell function. Clinically, this can translate into the ability to induce a better tolerance after liver transplantation.

Although stem cells can be obtained from different sources, such as: bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue and even teeth, we prefer to use fresh, autologous bone marrow; as it contains many stimulating factors and growth factors. As research studies advance and more beneficial qualities for regenerating and repairing tissue are discovered, we are becoming more and more convinced of its potential for anti-aging, prevention and for treating a wide variety of degenerative conditions. That is why we want to bring the benefits of stem cells to all those patients with a medical condition, even when traditional treatments have had little or no results.

If you or a loved one is suffering from a liver disease, please contact us today at +1 (888) 443-6235 or info@progencell.com. A Regenerative Medicine Scientific Liaison will get in contact with you and a free medical evaluation can take please, feel free to send us any imaging, lab work or medical reports that you have available from your condition, this will help our doctor to provide an accurate recommendation of treatment.

Contact us to learn how stem cells can help

References:

Lins Kusterer LEF (2011) Oral Diseases and Liver Pre and Post-Transplantation Disorders. J Transplant Technol Res S1: 001.

Vitin AA, Martay K, Vater Y, Dembo G, Maziarz M (2010) Effects of Vasoactive Agents on Blood Loss and Transfusion Requirements During Pre-Reperfusion Stages of the Orthotopic Liver Transplantation. J Anesthe Clinic Res 1: 104

Young HE, Duplaa C, Katz R, Thompson T, Hawkins KC, Boev AN, Henson NL, Heaton M, Sood R, Ashley D, Stout C, Morgan JH, 3rd, Uchakin PN, Rimando M, Long GF, Thomas C, Yoon JI, Park JE, Hunt DJ, Walsh NM, Davis JC, Lightner JE, Hutchings AM, Murphy ML, Boswell E, McAbee JA, Gray BM, Piskurich J, Blake L, Collins JA, Moreau C, Hixson D, Bowyer FP, 3rd, Black AC., Jr Adult-derived stem cells and their potential for use in tissue repair and molecular medicine. J Cell Mol Med. 2005;9:753–769. [PubMed]