Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an organ-specific inflammatory disease and characterized by immune mediated destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts, then lead to liver cirrhosis and eventually failure.Currently, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Novel treatment is urgently needed for patients who have an incomplete response to UDCA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) represent a promising tool for cell-based therapies of autoimmune diseases. To explore the therapeutic effect of MSCs for PBC, the investigators plan to conduct an open-label, randomized clinical trial. Patients with PBC will be enrolled and randomly divided into two groups which will receive MSCs and UDCA respectively. The investigators will evaluate the efficacy and safety of MSCs for PBC by comparison of symptom improvement, survival rate and side effects in the two groups.
The study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous administration of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells for patients with refractory primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).