Pilot study of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transfusion in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment is an effective medical therapy for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC); however, 40% of PBC patients show an incomplete response to the UDCA therapy. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transfusion in PBC patients with an incomplete response to UDCA.

We conducted a single-arm trial that included seven PBC patients with a suboptimal response to UDCA treatment. UC-MSCs were first cultured, and then 0.5 × 10(6) cells/kg body weights were infused through a peripheral vein. UC-MSCs were given three times at 4-week intervals, and patients were followed up for 48 weeks. Primary outcomes were to evaluate the safety and feasibility of UC-MSC treatment, and secondary outcomes were to evaluate liver functions and patient's quality of life.

No obvious side-effects were found in the patients treated with UC-MSCs. Symptoms such as fatigue and pruritus were obviously alleviated in most patients after UC-MSC treatment. There was a significant decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase levels at the end of the follow-up period as compared with baseline. No significant changes were observed in serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time activity, international normalized ratio, or immunoglobulin M levels. The Mayo risk score, a prognostic index, was also stable during the treatment and follow-up period.

UC-MSC transfusion is feasible and well tolerated in patients with PBC who respond only partially to UDCA treatment, thus representing a novel therapeutic approach for patients in this subgroup. A larger, randomized controlled cohort study is warranted to confirm the clinical efficacy of UC-MSC transfusion.