Liver cirrhosis is a scarring process of liver tissue characterized by formation of fibrosis and nodule formation, leading to alteration of normal liver function. In recent decades, cell therapy has been applied to improve liver function. This chapter provides an overview of preclinical studies and clinical application of cell therapy for liver cirrhosis, using different cell types, including bone marrow mononuclear cells, autologous hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs), bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs). The chapter also outlines the aspects of applying cell therapy in liver cirrhosis patients including indications and contraindications, cell dose, delivery routes and the treatment outcomes from clinical studies. The controversies and future direction will be discussed emphasizing further studies to determine optimal infusion route, cell type, cell number per infusion and number of infusion repeat.
