Liver cirrhosis, which refers to later-stage liver disease, is a serious condition caused by scarring of the liver. As a result, the liver isn’t able to perform its essential functions, leading to unpleasant symptoms like jaundice and fatigue and reducing a person’s lifespan. Currently, there is no cure for liver cirrhosis, although there are treatment options that can improve the liver and help someone live longer with a higher quality of life. One pretty incredible treatment for liver cirrhosis is stem cell therapy, which essentially uses the body’s healing cells to treat the scarring. Find out everything you need to know here at BioXcellerator.
About Liver Cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis refers to extreme damage to the liver. It’s the last stage of liver disease – at this point, the liver is full of scar tissue, and the liver itself cannot function as it should. A person with liver cirrhosis may experience liver failure at any time, which can be life-threatening. As such, it’s a very serious disease. Some of the symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Appetite Loss
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
- Weight Loss
- Vomiting Blood
- Bruising
- Swelling (fluid build-up)
A variety of things can cause liver cirrhosis; typically, a person gets liver disease after drinking too much alcohol throughout their lives. It can also be caused by a hepatitis infection. In terms of treatment for liver cirrhosis, if the liver cirrhosis has been caused by alcohol consumption, the first step would be to stop drinking alcohol. A doctor will also recommend other lifestyle management techniques such as regular exercise, weight loss, and quitting smoking. Many of the medications will treat individual symptoms directly; for example, if a person with liver cirrhosis experiences a lot of swelling, they may use diuretics to reduce this symptom. Severe liver cirrhosis may result in a liver transplant, which is a major surgery that requires a healthy liver from a donor.
Understanding Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is also known as regenerative medicine, and that’s because it uses stem cells to stimulate healing within the body. It does this thanks to the stem cells’ unique properties that allow them to self-renew when in a new environment, even turning into new cells of a different type. Naturally, stem cells have been an exciting focus in the medical world due to their ability to promote the healing of damaged tissues, including organs like the liver.
Read Next: What Are Stem Cells?
Does Stem Cell Therapy Improve Liver Cirrhosis?
Yes, stem cell therapy can improve liver cirrhosis. The science behind it makes a lot of sense. Stem cell therapy uses stem cells to replace damaged tissue, including liver tissue. When administered directly to the liver, these cells can adapt to their environment, treat liver cirrhosis, and improve how the liver functions as a whole – in turn, reducing symptoms. It’s worth saying that it’s not an absolute cure; simply a way to manage symptoms and treat the disease. It also works thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties of stem cells, which can also help prevent further damage to the liver tissue.
It’s not just the theory that backs up the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for liver cirrhosis, as studies have also proven how beneficial it can be. A study in Nature Nanotechnology looked into the effectiveness of using mesenchymal cells when treating liver fibrosis, with results showing that the treatment activates liver cell regeneration.
The Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Liver Cirrhosis
The medical community is very excited by the new developments showing how effective stem cell therapy is for treating liver cirrhosis. Here are some of the undeniable benefits of this procedure:
It’s Not Invasive
People with chronic liver diseases have likely already undergone a lot of medical intervention. Stem cell therapy might be another medical procedure, but it’s not too invasive, especially considering the results it can give. The stem cell harvesting process is performed under local anesthetic, and the stem cell injections are fast and painless.
Read Next: What Are Stem Cell Injections?
It Heals Your Body from Within
There’s something incredible about being able to heal your body from within – particularly when you can use your very own stem cells, which are already present throughout your body. Stem cell treatments utilize the body’s already functioning healing response; it directs it appropriately to heal the part that needs it most.
An Alternative to a Liver Transplant
Liver transplants are not a perfect solution to liver cirrhosis for several reasons. First, healthy liver donors are few and far between, and it isn’t always easy to find the right donor at the right time. On top of that, people who have liver cirrhosis because of alcohol use will need to prove that they do not drink any alcohol anymore. There is also the fact that a liver transplant is a major surgical procedure that comes with a lot of risks – after all, it’s replacing an entire organ. The recovery time is long, and the success rate is not perfect. Stem cell therapy offers an alternative – a way to treat your own liver without having to undergo such an extreme operation.
Choosing the Right Clinic
All of these benefits are fantastic, but you should choose the right stem cell clinic to encounter them. You want an experienced stem cell clinic with high-quality facilities and an expert team, and that’s what we offer here at BioXcellerator. We always put our patients first – we will always prioritize your absolute best interests, even if that means not undergoing stem cell therapy. Our team is extremely helpful and will be able to assist you with any questions you have about the process. By booking a no-obligation consultation with us, you’ll gain access to expert advice particular for your case and receive information such as stem cell therapy cost.
Does Stem Cell Therapy Improve Liver Cirrhosis? In Summary
Stem cell therapy for liver cirrhosis is an exciting regenerative medicine that could help people reverse the unpleasant symptoms of late-stage liver disease and even live longer. While research is ongoing, the results thus far show how incredible this medicine is at treating a damaged liver.
Are you interested in stem cell therapy to treat liver cirrhosis? Get in touch with BioXcellerator. We are happy to assist – we have several locations we cover, so we are sure we can help you.
