Recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor for liver failure

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Liver failure (LF) presents a critical unmet medical need with high mortality rates.
• Comprehensive therapy (CT) is the standard of care, but its efficacy is limited in severe cases.
• Recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor (rh-HGF) is a potential therapeutic agent for promoting liver regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of rh-HGF combined with CT (Therapy I) versus CT alone (Therapy II) for treating liver failure.
• To conduct a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to synthesize evidence on rh-HGF in LF treatment.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of multiple databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CBMdisc, CNKI) and manual searches.
• Inclusion of 21 RCTs involving 5902 patients comparing Therapy I with Therapy II for LF.
• Meta-analysis of data to assess overall mortality and subgroup effects based on LF clinical types and stages.

Main Results:

• Therapy I significantly reduced overall mortality compared to Therapy II (RR=0.62; 95% CI, 0.59-0.66; p=0.0001).
• Significant reductions in mortality were observed in sub-acute LF and early-stage LF patients treated with Therapy I.
• No serious adverse events were reported in the trials evaluating rh-HGF.

Conclusions:

• rh-HGF combined with CT may reduce mortality in liver failure patients, particularly those with sub-acute LF and early-stage disease.
• The findings suggest a potential benefit of rh-HGF in improving outcomes for specific LF populations.
• Further high-quality RCTs are warranted to confirm these findings and guide routine clinical recommendations.