Can bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells change liver volume? A case report

Several studies have described the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). However, in the majority, biochemical tests, clinical features, and pathologic results were used rather than radiologic tests to compare treatment outcomes. A 57-year-old male visited a stem cell clinic with a diagnosis of LC attributed to hepatitis B virus. This patient took tenofovir and diuretics at the initial presentation and was administered bone marrow-derived MSCs twice via hepatic intra-arterial infusion. Subsequently, the patient's clinical symptoms and biochemical tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio, creatinine, alpha-fetoprotein) improved. Computed tomography findings showed loss of ascites, reduced nodularity, and especially increased liver volume, which suggested that MSCs have meaningful effects on liver volume, as well as improving liver function.