Liver disease is a frequently occurring disease worldwide. In China, the incidence of hepatitis and liver cirrhosis is high, and has increased year by year. The progression of chronic liver disease can lead to upper gastrointestinal bleeding, liver cancer and other malignant diseases, posing a serious threat to the health and quality of life of patients. Before progression to liver cirrhosis, choosing an effective treatment method can reverse the disease, improve the prognosis and reduce mortality. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are the most popular seed cells in the development of new methods for treating cirrhosis. They can not only differentiate into hepatocytes in vivo, but also reduce the inflammatory response, inhibit cell apoptosis, improve liver function and so on. BMSCs are expected to be a new strategy for the treatment of liver cirrhosis and liver failure. © 2015 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.