Nanofiber-expanded stem cells mitigate liver fibrosis: Experimental study

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Stem Cell Biology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Liver fibrosis is a significant health concern.
• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show therapeutic potential but require optimization for hepatic differentiation.
• Pretreatment strategies are being explored to enhance MSC efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of a pretreatment strategy using nanofiber (NF) scaffolds and growth factors (GF) to enhance hepatic lineage divergence of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs).
• To evaluate the therapeutic potential of NF-expanded BMSCs in a liver fibrosis model.

Main Methods:

• BMSCs were expanded with or without NF scaffolds and treated with GF.
• Liver fibrosis was induced using thioacetamide (TA).
• NF-expanded BMSCs were transplanted and compared biochemically and histologically to control MSCs.

Main Results:

• NF expansion improved BMSC proliferation and characterization.
• Transplanted NF-MSCs significantly improved liver function, increasing hepatic HGF and Bcl-2, while decreasing fibronectin, TNF-α, and TGF-β1.
• NF-MSCs enhanced hepatic gene expression (HNF4α, FOXa2, CYP7a1) and suppressed fibrotic/progenitor markers (β-5-Tub, AFP).

Conclusions:

• Pretreatment with GF and NF scaffolds augments MSC homing, repopulation, and hepatic differentiation.
• This NF-based pretreatment strategy is a promising approach for treating liver fibrosis.