Abstract
This editorial provided commentaries on an article titled "Liver function improvement after human placental extract injections in patients with chronic liver disease: Thirty case reports". The first clinical application of an innovative therapeutic protocol was comprehensively described in this case report by Lee, in which 30 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) received intravenous administration of 10 mL human placental extract (HPE). Notably, significant improvements in liver function could be observed in these patients, which underscored the potential of this novel treatment for CLD management. However, the rising prevalence of CLD around the world underscored the limitations of conventional therapies (such as antiviral agents and lifestyle modifications) in addressing advanced fibrosis or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Additionally, emerging regenerative therapies (including HPE) have garnered more attention due to their bioactive components, which could modulate the hepatic microenvironment based on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-regenerative mechanisms. Although the existing evidence remains relatively lacking, the multi-targeted action of HPE highlights its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy. Overall, this editorial outlines the research advancements of HPE, alongside the critical analysis of existing limitations and the proposal of future research directions.