Treating Fatty Liver Disease with Umbilical Cord Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
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Fatty liver disease is a condition that is caused by fat building up in the liver. There are two different types of fatty liver disease that a patient can suffer from. These include:
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease, or alcoholic steatohepatitis
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a type of fatty liver disease that is not related in any way to the consumption of alcohol. There are two kinds of NAFLD that a patient can be diagnosed with. These include:
- Simple fatty liver: This is a condition that involves fat on the liver with very little to no inflammation. There is no liver cell damage in patients who have this diagnosis. Simple fatty liver is generally not severe enough to cause damage to the liver or complications.
- Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): This condition involves both inflammation and liver cell damage. There is also fat in the liver. This condition can result in fibrosis (scarring) of the liver. NASH can also progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer in some patients.
On the other hand, alcoholic fatty liver disease is generally caused by heavy alcohol use. The majority of the alcohol that you consume is metabolized by your liver before being eliminated from your system. However, the process of breaking down the alcohol can result in the production of compounds that are toxic to humans. These chemicals have the potential to harm liver cells, exacerbate inflammation, and reduce your body's natural resistance to infection.
As a person consumes more alcohol over time, it causes more damage to the liver. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is considered to be the earliest stage of other alcoholic-related liver diseases. Alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis supersede alcoholic fatty liver disease.
How Many People Have Fatty Liver Disease?
In the United States, between 10 and 46% of the entire population has some form of fatty liver disease. It is estimated that approximately 25% of all adults in the country have some form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Of the total NAFLD cases, approximately 20% of these have NASH, which translates to 5% of adults in the United States.
Approximately 4.5 million, or 1.8%, of the United States adult population have alcoholic fatty liver disease. Estimates show that approximately 80 to 100 million adults in the country have fatty liver disease and may not even know it. More than 50,000 people die every year in the United States as a result of fatty liver disease.
A study from 2019 found that, among the total population of the world, approximately 25% of the global adult population has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
What are the Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease?
The liver plays a critical role in the human body. This organ is essential for producing bile, which aids in digestion. It is also responsible for storing iron, making proteins for the body, converting nutrients into energy, helping fight infections by making immune factors, helping to remove bacteria and toxins from the blood and creating substances that help your blood clot. Needless to say, when the liver fails to function correctly, it can lead to an array of problems.
Patients who have fatty liver disease may not know that they actually do. In most cases, this condition does not present serious problems or prevent the liver from functioning correctly. However, between 7% and 30% of people who suffer from fatty liver disease will experience symptoms that do worsen over time. Some common symptoms of worsening fatty liver disease include:
- Inflammation of the liver (steatohepatitis)
- Scar tissue forming over the damaged areas of the liver
- Extensive scar tissue build-up that replaces healthy tissue
In addition, patients who have a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can experience a multitude of symptoms once the condition progresses. Symptoms associated with NAFLD include:
- Pain and/or discomfort in the upper right abdominal area
- Fatigue
Signs and symptoms of NASH and advanced cirrhosis can include:
- Enlarged spleens
- Abdominal swelling (ascites)
- Red palms
- Enlarged blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin
Patients who experience these symptoms can undergo various forms of treatment to help alleviate some of the impacts they have on their lives.
What Treatment Options are Available for Fatty Liver Disease?
Patients who have fatty liver disease can undergo various types of treatment for their condition. The first line of treatment for patients will include losing weight. Many patients employ a combination of exercise and a healthy diet in order to reach their target goal. In cases of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, losing weight can significantly address the condition. In general, patients are recommended to lose a total of 10% of their body fat.
However, the improvements in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease associated with losing weight are apparent even in patients who lose as little as 3% to 5% of their starting weight. In many cases, weight loss surgery can help those who need to lose a greater amount of weight in order to achieve results.
In addition, patients are recommended to exercise more often and be more active in general. Patients who suffer from fatty liver disease should get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days.
While exercise is helpful in losing weight and easing the symptoms of fatty liver disease, eating a healthy diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can also go a long way in helping patients lose weight and create a healthier lifestyle. Other steps that patients who suffer from fatty liver disease need to take include controlling their diabetes and lowering their cholesterol, both actions that will significantly protect their liver from further damage.
Patients who suffer from cirrhosis as a result of NASH may need to receive a liver transplant.
At this time, there are no medications that are provided to patients who suffer from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, there has been recent activity in which more scientists and medical professionals are studying the use of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients who suffer from fatty liver disease. The studies surrounding the use of these stem cells have been promising so far.
What are Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells?
Umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCT-MSC) are a type of adult stem cell that can be extracted from the Wharton's jelly that is found in the umbilical cord. UCT-MSCs have the capacity to both self-renew and differentiate into a wide variety of cell types, such as myocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and osteocytes. Due to the fact that they are able to reduce inflammation and stimulate cell regeneration in injured tissue, UCT-MSCs have demonstrated considerable potential as treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including fatty liver disease.
In recent years, there have been a multitude of scientific studies concerning the utilization of mesenchymal stem cells produced from umbilical cord tissue as a treatment for individuals who suffer from fatty liver disease. Many of these studies have provided extremely promising results for patients.
Using UCT-MSCs to Treat Fatty Liver Disease
Over the years, multiple scientific studies in clinical and preclinical settings have been conducted on the use of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients who suffer from fatty liver disease.
A study that was performed in 2020 found that people who were treated with umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells were able to greatly improve their liver function based on MELD scores. They were also found to be effective in reducing the volume of CDs.
Another study published in 2021 focused on the use of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients who suffer from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. These studies determined that the use of these particular stem cells was effective in regulating the inflammatory process, suppressing the proliferation of CD 4+ T cells, decreasing the weight gain of patients, decreasing fibrosis markers, and fighting inflammation within the affected area. In addition, MSCs exhibited promising therapeutic effects on patients by improving both their lipid metabolism and carbohydrates. These results were demonstrated by a marked decrease in the glucose levels within the lipid profile. These include triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels. Moreover, the use of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells significantly reduced histological hepatic lesions, which were demonstrated by the dramatic decrease in lipid accumulations and hepatic steatosis.
Due to the exceptional anti-inflammatory qualities that mesenchymal stem cells have when it comes to treating patients who suffer from fatty liver disease, it is no surprise that this form of treatment produces such promising results in patients who suffer from this debilitating condition.
The results indicate that umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells can successfully reduce liver fat levels and decrease inflammation associated with fatty liver disease. Furthermore, they show no serious side effects or adverse events in relation to their infusion into patients. This new therapy offers hope to individuals suffering from this debilitating condition, especially those who have exhausted other available treatments.
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