Researchers in Singapore have just announced a new clinical trial that tests the effectiveness of using stem cells as treatment for liver disease. The four-year trial will cost $2.6 million and involves 46 patients. Researchers hope it will demonstrate the viability of stem cells as treatment for liver disease.

There is currently a very long waiting list for liver transplants in Singapore, which makes the study of particular interest to the general public. Most liver transplants are used to treat end-stage liver cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

The research will be performed by a team located throughout the country. It will be led by Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH).

Liver failure remains a very common cause of death in the developed world. In the United States, almost 4 million people suffer from liver disease. It is one of the top 20 leading causes of death in Singapore.

The shortage of liver donors often results in patients dying. There are also a range of other transplant criteria that patients often fail, including age and surgical fitness. For every five patients with liver failure in Singapore, only one qualifies for a liver transplant.

The principal investigator of the trial, Dr Dan Yock Young, explains the problems associated with treating liver failure: “(A liver transplant) is curative, but it is a complex procedure, and many patients are not suitable for it. For these patients, treatment is limited, but morbidity and mortality rates are high — as high as 50 per cent in one year — and this is probably worse than many (of the) other terminal illnesses we talk about today.”

Researchers have already used animal studies to show that using stem cells as treatment for liver disease is possible. Transplanted stem cells can reconstruct the liver and restore its function. This new research project will determine if the treatment is safe and effective when used in humans.

Source: New NUH study to test stem cells as treatment for liver disease

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