Liver Cirrhosis Treated with Autologous Bone Marrow Cell Therapy: A Case Study

A patient who was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis 11 years ago (in 2010), accompanied by splenic hyperfunction, ascites, and coagulation disorders, underwent splenectomy and implantation of a subcutaneous infusion port for autologous bone marrow infusion at the Department of Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. Over time, the patient's liver function showed significant improvement. Recently, the patient returned to receive another round of autologous bone marrow cell therapy.

For patients with decompensated cirrhosis, conventional drug treatments often lead to liver failure within about a year. However, autologous bone marrow cell therapy has shown promising results in helping such patients achieve substantial recovery and improved quality of life.

Therapeutic Advancements

Traditionally, autologous bone marrow transplantation for cirrhosis required surgical implantation of an infusion port and a hospital stay of about one week. Recently, Professor Liu Baochi's team, in collaboration with NovoCell Biomedical Center, upgraded the treatment method by introducing ultrasound-guided intrahepatic portal vein transplantation of autologous bone marrow cells. This advancement eliminates the need for open abdominal surgery and allows patients to return home the same day. This improved technique is especially suitable for patients in the early to middle stages of cirrhosis.

For those with advanced cirrhosis, timely and effective intervention is crucial. Currently, aside from liver transplantation, the two most scientifically supported therapies are mesenchymal stem cell therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation. While mesenchymal stem cell therapy remains in clinical research phases in China without widespread therapeutic application yet, autologous bone marrow transplantation has been practiced by Professor Liu Baochi's team at Fudan University since 2009. To date, over 400 patients with moderate to advanced cirrhosis have been treated with impressive outcomes—most experiencing disappearance of ascites, increased liver volume, and significantly improved liver function.

Bone marrow contains embryonic-like cells that can differentiate into various functional cell types or even regenerate tissues and organs under appropriate conditions. These cells play a key role in repairing damaged liver tissue caused by cirrhosis. Think of bone marrow stem cells as seeds and their surrounding components as soil—transplanting both together may enhance stem cell engraftment and regeneration in injured organs. The microenvironment of the injured organ provides a more favorable setting for stem cell activity than any laboratory-based culture system.

The research findings related to autologous bone marrow transplantation for cirrhosis were published in July 2013 in the prestigious international journal Nature – Cell Death & Disease. In 2016, Xinhua News Agency reported on this innovative approach with a feature titled “Chinese Medical Experts Successfully Treat Liver Cirrhosis Using the 'Seed and Soil Transplantation' Method.”