Stem Cell Applications in Biliary Atresia Patients

Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (UC-MSC) Transplantation in Infants with Biliary Atresia: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has emerged as a promising treatment for liver cirrhosis in adults. Additionally, bone marrow-derived stem cell transplantation has shown success in treating children with biliary atresia (BA). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (UC-MSC) therapy in BA through a multicentric randomized controlled trial.

Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of chronic cholestasis in neonates and accounts for at least 50% of pediatric liver transplants. The incidence of BA is estimated to range from 1:5000 to 1:19000 live births. If the operation is not performed, all patients will die due to complications of liver cirrhosis. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has been found to be a promising treatment for liver cirrhosis in adults. Stem cell transplantation derived from bone marrow has also been successfully applied to children with BA. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (UC-MSC) therapy in BA by planning a multicentric randomized controlled trial.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infants were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis due to biliary atresia following Kasai's operation.
• The patients two months old or older and exhibited signs of cirrhosis after the procedure, including hepatomegaly, congestive splenomegaly, elevated liver enzymes, esophageal varices (confirmed by endoscopy), and cirrhosis (confirmed by liver biopsy).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Epilepsy
• Neurological disorders
• Coagulation disorders
• Diabetes
• Syndromic type biliary atresia
• Allergies to anesthetic agents
• Severe health conditions such as cancer or failure of the heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys, active infections, and severe psychiatric disorders.