Mitochondrial transplantation and platelet rich plasma for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly prevalent global health concern, contributing to the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Since no approved drugs for the treatment of NAFLD exist, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Two such strategies are mitochondrial transplantation and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. In preclinical NAFLD, mitochondrial transplantation alleviates steatosis by improving the hepatic imbalance between fatty acid utilization and synthesis. Moreover, it reduces excessive reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation, thereby reducing inflammation and fibrosis. In contrast, PRP therapy ameliorates hepatic damage induced by xenobiotics by deactivating stellate cells, reducing fibrosis and apoptosis, and decreasing inflammation via NF-κB inhibition, while enhancing antioxidant defenses. These effects may be related to the improvement of NAFLD observed in a preclinical study. We propose that a combination of mitochondrial transplantation and PRP therapy may represent a novel approach for treating NAFLD by targeting different aspects of NAFLD in a complementary manner. We discuss the limitations of these therapies, as preclinical studies addressing NAFLD with these therapies are scarce, and there are no clinical trials in humans.

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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