Emerging therapies in hepatology: Liver-directed gene transfer and hepatocyte transplantation

Gene transfer and epithelial cell transplantation technologies play an impo rtant role in the development of new therapeutic concepts for liver disease s, Although liver organ transplantation has revolutionized the treatment of a wide spectrum of acute and chronic liver diseases, gene- and cell-based therapies are emerging at an astonishing pace, because they promise to be l ess invasive, less costly and at least as effective as currently establishe d therapy protocols. Experimental gene therapy models have been developed f or a wide spectrum of liver diseases, including hereditary liver disorders, malignant liver disease and viral hepatitis. Hepatocyte transplantation (H cTx) is being explored as treatment of severe chronic and acute liver failu re as well as for hereditary liver diseases. Most of these procedures and t echniques are still experimental or have been applied to a small number of patients only. Rigorous clinical evaluation will finally demonstrate the us efulness of each new procedure in the daily clinical care of patients with liver disease, In this review, we have attempted to provide an introduction and survey of the topics of gene therapy and HcTx with specific examples o f laboratory and clinical achievements highlighting potential applications in liver diseases. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.