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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 28, 2014; 20(40): 14884-14894
Published online Oct 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i40.14884
Published online Oct 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i40.14884
Targeted migration of mesenchymal stem cells modified with CXCR4 to acute failing liver improves liver regeneration
Hu-Cheng Ma, Xiao-Lei Shi, Hao-Zhen Ren, Xian-Wen Yuan, Yi-Tao Ding, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China
Xiao-Lei Shi, Hao-Zhen Ren, Xian-Wen Yuan, Yi-Tao Ding, Key Medical Center for Hepatobiliary Diseases of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Ma HC and Shi XL contributed equally to this work and designed the study; Ma HC and Yuan XW performed the majority of experiments; Shi XL and Ding YT provided vital reagents and financial support for this work; Yuan XW and Ren HZ analyzed data; Ma HC wrote the manuscript; Shi XL and Ding YT reviewed the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 81170418; Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, BK20131084; and University Graduate Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province, CXZZ13_0062
Correspondence to: Yi-Tao Ding, MD, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China. yitaoding@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-25-83107080 Fax: +86-25-83105987
Received: January 9, 2014
Revised: March 31, 2014
Accepted: May 12, 2014
Published online: October 28, 2014
Revised: March 31, 2014
Accepted: May 12, 2014
Published online: October 28, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is an effective therapy for acute liver failure (ALF), and is expected to be an alternative to liver transplantation. Many current studies have exhibited poor efficiency of MSC transplantation due to low colonization in the failing liver. We modified MSCs with the chemokine CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4) gene to promote the colonization of MSCs in failing liver depending on the stromal cell-derived factor-1α/CXCR4 axis. In vivo imaging showed that CXCR4-MSCs migrated to the liver in higher numbers than Null-MSCs 1 and 5 d after ALF. Greater colonization led to a longer lifetime and better liver function.