Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with praziquantel as a potential therapy for Schistosoma mansoni-induced liver fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Liver fibrosis is one of the most serious consequences of S. mansoni infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anti-fibrotic effect of human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) combined with praziquantel (PZQ) in S. mansoni-infected mice. S. mansoni-infected mice received early (8(th) week post infection) and late (16(th) week post infection) treatment with WJMSCs, alone and combined with oral PZQ. At the 10(th) month post infection, livers were collected for subsequent flow cytometric, histopathological, morphometric, immunohistochemical, gene expression, and gelatin zymographic studies. After transplantation, WJMSCs differentiated into functioning liver-like cells as evidenced by their ability to express human hepatocyte-specific markers

SUBMITTER: Hammam OA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4753476 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature