Adult Liver Progenitor Cells for Treating Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

1 . A composition comprising adult human liver-derived progenitor cells for use in the treatment of a patient suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), wherein the treatment comprises a step of administering to said patient an amount of said composition which comprises a dose of 0.25 to 2.5 million of said progenitor cells per kg body weight; wherein the composition is substantially free of an effective amount of an anticoagulant, and wherein the patient does not receive any co-treatment with an anticoagulant.

2 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein said progenitor cells are heterologous human adult liver-derived progenitor cells (HALPC) that express at least one mesenchymal marker selected from CD90, CD44, CD73, CD13, CD140b, vimentin and a-smooth muscle actin (ASMA), and that optionally express at least one hepatic marker and/or exhibit a liver-specific activity.

3 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein said cells are heterologous human adult liver-derived progenitor cells (HALPC) that express at least one mesenchymal marker selected from CD90, CD44, CD73, CD13, CD140b, CD29, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA); and wherein said cells secrete HGF.

4 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein said cells are heterologous human adult liver-derived progenitor cells (HALPC) that express at least one mesenchymal marker selected from CD90, CD44, CD73, CD13, CD140b, CD29, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA); and wherein said cells secrete HGF and PGE2.

5 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein said cells are measured:

a. positive for α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA), CD140b and optionally albumin (ALB);

b. negative for Cytokeratin-19 (CK-19) and optionally for Sushi domain containing protein 2 (SUSD2).

6 . The composition for use according to claim 5 , wherein said cells are further measured positive for:

a. At least one hepatic marker selected from HNF-3B, HNF-4, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 and optionally albumin;

b. At least one mesenchymal marker selected from Vimentin, CD90, CD73, CD44, and CD29;

c. At least one liver-specific activity selected from urea secretion, bilirubin conjugation, alpha-1-antitrypsin secretion, and CYP3A4 activity;

d. At least one marker selected from ATP2B4, ITGA3, TFRC, SLC3A2, CD59, ITGB5, CD151, ICAM1, ANPEP, CD46, and CD81; and

e. At least one marker selected from MMP1, ITGA11, FMOD, KCND2, CCL11, ASPN, KCNK2, and HMCN1.

7 . The composition for use according to claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises a dose of 0.5 to 1 million HALPC cells per kg body weight.

8 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein the patient has been or is diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or wherein the patient is at risk of developing NASH.

9 . The composition for use according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered to the patient in the form of a sterile liquid comprising the HALPC cells at a concentration of 0.5 to 5 million cells per mL.

10 . The composition for use according to claim 9 , wherein the sterile liquid composition is intravenously infused to the patient at an infusion rate of about 0.1 to about 5 mL per minute, or at a rate of 0.5 to about 2 mL per minute.

11 . The composition for use according to claim 10 , wherein the composition is administered to the patient from a vertically mounted infusion pump.

12 . The composition for use according to claim 2 , wherein the treatment further comprises:

administering to said patient a second amount of said composition, said second amount comprising a second dose of 0.25 to 2.5 million HALPC cells per kg body weight;

wherein said second amount is administered 5 to 21 days after the first amount;

wherein said composition is substantially free of an effective amount of an anticoagulant,

and wherein the patient does not receive any co-treatment with an anticoagulant.

13 . The composition for use according to claim 12 , wherein said second amount comprises a second dose of 0.5 to 1 million HLAPC cells per kg body weight.

14 . The composition for use according to claim 12 , wherein said second amount is administered 6 to 8 days after said first amount.

15 . The composition for use according to claim 14 , wherein said second amount is administered 7 days after said first amount.

16 . The composition for use according to claim 12 , wherein the treatment further comprises:

administering to said patient a third amount of said composition, said third amount comprising a third dose of 0.25 to 2.5 million HALPC cells per kg body weight, such as 0.5 to 1 million HALPC cells per kg body weight; wherein said third amount is administered 5 to 21 days after the second amount;

wherein said composition is substantially free of an effective amount of an anticoagulant, and wherein the patient does not receive any co-treatment with an anticoagulant.

17 . The composition for use according to claim 16 , wherein said third amount is administered 6 to 8 days after said second amount.

18 . The composition for use according to claim 16 , wherein said third amount is administered 7 days after said second amount.

19 . The composition for use according to claim 10 , wherein the infusion rate is about 1.5 mL per minute.