Recent advances in the immunomodulation mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in liver diseases

Liver fibrosis, acute liver injury or liver failure, liver tumors, and immune rejection after liver transplantation are common clinical liver diseases. Immune responses are the key to determining the prognosis of liver diseases. Liver transplantation could be the last resort for patients with liver failure. However, the use of liver transplantation is limited because of the scarcity of organ donors, immunological rejection in recipients, and high cost. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent adult stem cells with extensive anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation effects. MSCs can be effectively used for treating liver diseases but without the limitations that are associated with liver transplantation. Therefore, several clinical trials have utilized MSCs for the treatment of refractory liver diseases and the related mechanism is increasingly being elucidated. We have mainly summarized the recent studies that focus on the immunomodulation mechanism of MSC therapy in liver diseases. Further, we have presented our insights on the prospects of using MSCs in the treatment of liver diseases.