Liver cirrhosis involves chronic wound healing and fibrotic processes. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult progenitor cells that are used as vehicles of therapeutic genes. Insulin growth factor like-I (IGF-I) was shown to counteract liver fibrosis. We aimed at analyzing the effect of applying IGF-I overexpressing mouse bone marrow-derived MSCs on hepatic fibrosis. Fibrosis was induced by chronic thioacetamide application or bile duct ligation. MSCs engineered to produce green fluorescent protein (GFP) (AdGFP-MSCs) or IGF-I (AdIGF-I-MSCs) were applied systemically, and changes in collagen deposition and in the expression of key pro-fibrogenic and pro-regenerative genes/proteins were assessed. In addition, immunogenicity of transduced cells was analyzed. Liver fibrosis was further ameliorated after a single-dose application of AdIGF-I-MSCs when compared with AdGFP-MSCs and/or recombinant IGF-I treatments. Interestingly, an early and transitory upregulation in IGF-I and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA expression was found in the liver of MSC-treated animals, which was more pronounced in AdIGF-I-MSCs condition. A reduction in hepatic stellate cell activation status was found after incubation with MSCs conditioned media. In addition, the AdIGF-I-MSCs cell-free supernatant induced the expression of IGF-I and HGF in primary cultured hepatocytes. From day 1 after transplantation, the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen was upregulated in the liver of AdIGF-I-MSCs group, mainly in hepatocytes. MSCs were in vivo traced till day 14 after injection. In addition, multiple doses of Ad-IGF-I-MSCs likely suppressed antiviral immune response and it further reduced collagen deposition. Our results uncover early events that are likely involved in the anti-fibrogenic effect of genetically modified MSCs and overall would support the use of AdIGF-I-MSCs in treatment of liver fibrosis.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4356192 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/scd.2014.0174 | DOI Listing |
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol
January 2025
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
This study aimed to determine if local injection of CXCL12 reduces sphincter fibrosis, restores sphincter muscle content, vascularization, and innervation, and recruits progenitor cells in a rabbit model of anal sphincter injury and incontinence. Adult female rabbits were assigned to 3 groups: uninjured/no treatment (control), injured/treated (treated), and injured/no treatment (untreated) (n=4 each). Injured groups were anesthetized and a section of external anal sphincter was removed at the 9:00 o'clock position.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAliment Pharmacol Ther
January 2025
Liver Unit, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Background And Aims: The laxative lubiprostone has been shown to decrease intestinal permeability. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of lubiprostone administered for 48 weeks in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Approach And Results: A randomised placebo-controlled trial was conducted in a specialised MASLD outpatient clinic at the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther
January 2025
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the leading chronic liver disease worldwide, with alarming prevalence reaching epidemic proportions.
Aims And Methods: The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the latest blood proteomics studies on MASLD and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), with emphasis on fibrosis. Furthermore, our objective is to conduct an analysis of protein pathways and interactions by integrating proteomics data using functional enrichment analysis of the deregulated proteins.
Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol
January 2025
Department of Hepatology, Institute of liver and biliary sciences, Delhi, India.
Introduction: Patients with cirrhosis are known to be prone to infections. Infections can trigger organ failures and decompensations in cirrhosis. Septic shock can increase mortality by fourfold and cause hemodynamic imbalances, adding to the already hyperdynamic circulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a biliary disorder associated with a high risk of end-stage liver disease and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Currently prediction of the unfavorable outcomes is hindered by the lack of valuable prognostic biomarkers.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of the autoantibodies in PSC and define their potential use as the predictors of progressive disease and CCA in a large, prospective cohort of PSC patients.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!