Application of animal models in the preclinical study of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of chronic liver disease

  Chronic liver disease is caused by liver damage factors such as viruses, autoimmunity, biliary atresia, toxins and metabolic disorders, and causes chronic liver disease. According to epidemiological data, 550 million people worldwide are currently infected with the hepatitis virus, and about 400,000 people die from viral liver disease each year. In China, hepatitis virus infection accounts for about 10% of the population, of which hepatitis B accounts for 7.2%. Approximately 3.8% of liver disease deaths worldwide are due to alcoholic liver disease (ald) caused by drunkenness, and nearly 30% of people suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (nafld). Liver transplantation is an effective method for the treatment of end-stage liver disease, but lack of liver resources for transplantation, surgical complications, immune rejection and high medical expenses limit the application of this treatment. In recent years, the development of stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine has provided a wide range of applications for solving clinical medical problems.

  MesenchyMalstemcells (Mscs) are more suitable for clinical treatment because they can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cells of three germ layers, are easy to obtain and have no moral problems. Currently, Mscs is undergoing preliminary human clinical trials for the treatment of liver cirrhosis. However, the results of clinical trials are inconsistent. The results of several randomized controlled trials show that bone marrow Mscs transplantation can significantly improve the liver function of patients. In contrast, other clinical trials did not improve liver function in patients with liver cirrhosis after Mscs transplantation. Most clinical trials do not have a reasonable randomized controlled trial plan, so it is difficult to draw accurate conclusions about the effectiveness of Mscs transplantation in the treatment of liver disease. In addition, studies have shown that human bone marrow Mscs can differentiate into mouse myofibroblasts. In addition, it is controversial whether Mscs promote tumor growth or inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, before using mesenchymal stem cells as a "drug" for the treatment of liver diseases, we will establish strict standards and evaluate the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal cell transplantation compared with other conventional drugs. The key to assessing safety and effectiveness is to establish an appropriate animal model that can simulate human liver disease. However, the lack of suitable animal models that can truly reproduce the pathological and metabolic characteristics of human liver diseases severely limits the development of drugs and treatments for liver diseases.