A pioneering treatment which could slow or reverse liver failure and offer a potential alternative to liver transplants has shown positive results in a medical trial.

70% of end-stage liver disease patients who were treated with macrophage cell therapy in the MATCH trial did not need a liver transplant after four years, compared with just 40% who didn’t receive the treatment.

The cell therapy takes immune cells from the patients’ blood and turns them into mature macrophages – a white blood cell – which is then re-injected back into the patient. The macrophages travel to the liver, where they break down scar tissue, reduce inflammation, and encourage the growth of healthy liver cells.