PGI offers cost-effective cure for liver cirrhosis

Mohit Khanna 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 6

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has invented a cost-effective treatment to cure the end-stage liver diseases. 

Dr Virendra Singh from the Department of Hepatology said the stem cell therapy has proved to be a wonder cure for patients suffering from liver cirrhosis. 

He said while liver transplant costs Rs 30 lakh in a private hospital and Rs 10 lakh in the PGI, whereas stem cell therapy costs Rs 10,000 for multiple courses.

“Under certain parameters, the stem cell therapy is even better than liver transplant. There is always a fear of infection among patients after liver transplant operation, so the patients have to take a lot of post-surgery precautions,” said Dr Virendra Singh. 

He said: “Nearly 70 per cent of patients from Punjab visiting the PGI for the treatment of end-stage liver disease were suffering from alcohol addiction,” said Virendra Singh. 

The process 

Dr Virendra Singh said in cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis, liver is damaged. “We stimulated the bone marrow by injection called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) which produced new cells called hematopoietic stem cells. Total blood count increases many fold and some of these cells home into liver and take function of liver cells and result in liver regeneration.”

The study on decompensated cirrhosis has been published in Hepatology and on alcoholic hepatitis in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Hematopoietic stem cell therapy “might act as a bridge for liver transplant”. However, if a person stops taking liquor or if the therapy goes on well, then a patient can lead a healthy life for years. The team of doctors which conducted the trials comprises Dr Virendra Singh, Dr Ratiram Sharma, Dr NipunVerma , Dr Amarjit Keisham, Dr Ashish Bhalla, Dr Navneet Sharma, Amritjyot Kaur, Dr Ritesh Agarwal, Dr Akash Singh and Dr Arka De.