In the light of the persisting lack of donor organs and the risks of allotransplantations, the possibility of liver regeneration with autologous stem cells from adipose tissue (ADSC) is an intriguing alternative. Using a model of a toxic liver damage in Sprague Dawley rats, generated by repetitive intraperitoneal application of retrorsine and allyl alcohol, the ability of human ADSC to support the restoration of liver function was investigated. A two-thirds hepatectomy was performed, and human ADSC were injected into one remaining liver lobe in group 1 ( = 20). Injection of cell culture medium performed in group 2 ( = 20) served as control. Cyclosporine was applied to achieve immunotolerance. Blood samples were drawn weekly after surgery to determine liver-correlated blood values. Six and twelve weeks after surgery, animals were sacrificed and histological sections were analyzed. ADSC significantly raised postoperative albumin ( < 0.017), total protein ( < 0.031), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase ( < 0.001), and lactate dehydrogenase ( < 0.04) levels compared to injection of cell culture medium alone. Transplanted cells could be found up to twelve weeks after surgery in histological sections. This study points towards ADSC being a promising alternative to hepatocyte or liver organ transplantation in patients with severe liver failure. 1. Introduction Liver cirrhosis on the basis of a chronic hepatitis B or C, autoimmune hepatitis, chronic alcohol abuse, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and primary biliary cirrhosis are only a few possible reasons for functional liver insufficiency. Irrespective of the cause of a chronic liver damage fibrosis is the ultimate endpoint. The most common cause of chronic liver disease is chronic viral hepatitis which causes inflammation and necrosis followed by deposition of collagens in a portal and periportal fashion [1]. Currently, therapy is limited to liver organ and rarely hepatocyte transplantation. Both are only accessible for a limited number of patients, due to lack of donor organs and difficulties with hepatocyte supply. Human hepatocytes are difficult to maintain in cell culture, do not expand well in vitro, and tend to dedifferentiate in culture [2]. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) represent an advantageous cell type for allogenic transplantation because they are immunoprivileged with low major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and no MHC II expression, therefore reducing the risk of allogenic transplant rejection [3]. MSC from adipose tissue (ADSC) have been shown to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells with
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