title: Endoderm induction for hepatic and pancreatic differentiation of ES cells.
abstract: Hepatic and pancreatic differentiation from ES cells is of great interest for the impact that this knowledge could have on the treatment of hepatic and diabetic patients. The liver and pancreas initially develop by budding from the embryonic endoderm. Thus, the development of the endoderm represents an important step and has an integral common role in initiating the early stages of pancreatic and liver development. We know that the development of hepatocytes and insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells from ES cells represents the culmination of a complex developmental program. However, there has been recent progress in directing ES cells to endoderm and early-stage hepatic and pancreatic progenitor cells. We here discuss the role of the microenvironment, transcriptional factors and cytokines, which have been recognized as important molecules during the major steps of the development of the liver and pancreas. We also present the most recent advances and efforts taken to produce definitive endoderm-committed ES cells for the further differentiation of hepatocyte-like and insulinproducing cells. Recent progress in the search for new sources of hepatocytes and beta-cells has opened up several possibilities for the future of new perspectives for future of new prophylactic and therapeutic possibilities for liver diseases and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Transplant and Surgical Oncology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. alexsotog15@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soto-Gutierrez
authors.forename: Nalu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navarro-Alvarez
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caballero-Corbalan
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D004627:Embryonic Induction; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype