Abstract: Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells on the treatment of liver failure through evidence-based medicine.Methods Seventeen case-control studies published at domestic and international journals on mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of liver failure were analyzed with RevMan 5.3 statistical software. The primary evaluation index was survival rate, and the secondary index was liver biochemical index and end-stage liver disease model score (MELD).Results A total of 1054 subjects were included in 17 articles. The survival rates of the mesenchymal stem cells treatment group were better than those of the control group at different periods of time (4 weeks OR=5.45, 95%CI 2.80~10.59, P<0.001; 8 weeks OR=2.82, 95%CI 1.74~4.58, P<0.001; 12 weeks OR=2.59, 95%CI 1.76~3.80, P<0.001; 24 weeks OR=2.13, 95%CI 1.43~3.17, P<0.001); MELD scores showed significant differences at 12 weeks (MD=-2.89, 95%CI -5.02~-0.75, P=0.008) and 24 weeks (MD=-2.28, 95%CI -4.27~-0.30, P=0.02). There was no significant difference in most liver biochemical indexes between the two groups.Conclusion Mesenchymal stem cells treatment can improve the survival rate and long-term MELD score of patients with liver failure. It is an effective cellular therapeutic method with value of clinical application.

Key words: Mesenchymal stem cells, Liver failure, Meta analysis