Human amnion epithelial cells, a potential therapy for chronic liver injury

The incidence of the population being affected by chronic liver disease is being increased disproportionately, with the expenses of treatment being enormous. With the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease being liver transplantation, recent growing evidence indicates the potential of cell therapy as a treatment option for different diseases, including liver injury. Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells (hAECs) are isolated from the amnion of the placenta in sufficient numbers for clinical use and bear many characteristics of traditional stem cells. The work performed in the thesis adds to the evidence that hAECs may be used as a potential therapy for liver injury.