Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leadeding cause of cancer deaths worldwide and it is major health problem despite the emergence of different preventive and treatment modalities. It is urgent to find a safe and effective therapy for the HCC treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy has been discussed as an attractive novel therapeutic option for liver diseases and cancer. In this review We analysed human umblical cord blood MSCs (huc MSCs) as they are hypothesized to be potent candidates for the clinical application of allogenic MSC-based therapies as they can easily be isolated from umbilical cord blood, cultured or modified in vitro, Although controversy exists and stem cell-based therapy will not completely take place of the conventional therapeutic tools, researchers still hold the view that cancer therapy based on huc-MSCs has a promising future. Nevertheless, it should be cautious when using huc-MSC as therapeutic vehicles for HCC treatment as the effects of MSCs on tumor progression remain controversial and no consistent conclusion has been presented until now. Thus, the effects of the MSCs from different sources on HCC need more data about disclose the molecular mechanism of MSCs migration to improve recruitment efficiency and the effectiveness of targeted therapy and whether MSCs functions are in correlation with MSCs sources or HCC subtypes or research methodology