Hepatocyte differentiation from embryonic stem cells and umbilical cord blood cells.
With the development of regeneration medicine, many researchers have attempted hepatic differentiation from nonhepatic-origin cell sources. The differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into hepatocyte-like cells has been reported in several papers. Mouse ES cells have shown a potential to develop into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro on the basis of hepatic gene expression after adding several growth factors. We transplanted cultured embryoid body (EB) cells (male) into female mice. A liver specimen of the recipient was examined by immunohistochemical staining for albumin and fluorescence in situ hybridization for the Y chromosome after transplantation. Both Y chromosome- and albumin-positive cells were recognized in the recipient female liver, and were considered to be hepatocyte-like cells derived from ES cells containing the Y chromosome. Many groups, including ourselves, have studied hepatocyte-like cell differentiation from umbilical cord blood cells (UBCs). We cultured nucleated cells isolated from UBCs. Using immunostaining, ALB-positive and CK-19-positive cells were recognized in the culture. Dual staining of ALB and CK-19 demonstrated that ALB was coexpressed with CK-19, suggesting the existence of hepatic progenitors. In this review, we consider recent studies of the differentiation of hepatocytes from nonhepatic origins, especially ES cells and umbilical cord blood.
Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.
Kenichi
K
Teramoto
Kinji
K
Asahina
Yuji
Y
Kumashiro
Sei
S
Kakinuma
Ryoko
R
Chinzei
Keiko
K
Shimizu-Saito
Yujiro
Y
Tanaka
Hirobumi
H
Teraoka
Shigeki
S
Arii
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002459:Cell Fusion; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D014470:Umbilical Cord
D015415:Biomarkers