title: A refined characterisation of the NeoHepatocyte phenotype necessitates a reappraisal of the transdifferentiation hypothesis.
abstract: Under certain culture conditions human peripheral blood monocytes may be induced to express phenotypic markers of non-haematopoietic lineages, including hepatocyte-defining traits. One such example, the NeoHepatocyte, was previously shown to express a broad panel of hepatocyte-like marker antigens and metabolic activities, both in vitro and following engraftment in the liver of immunodeficient mice. In this report, a refined description of NeoHepatocytes, with regard to their expression of xenobiotic-metabolising enzymes, morphology, hepatocyte marker expression and cell surface phenotype, is presented in comparison with human macrophages in defined states of activation. Contrary to prior assertions, it would seem more likely that NeoHepatocytes express particular hepatocyte-defining genes during a normal programme of macrophage differentiation rather than undergoing a process of transdifferentiation to become hepatocyte-like cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Division of Transplantation Medicine and Biotechnology, University Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Strasse 7, D-24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riquelme
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wundt
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brulport
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotnikova
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Girreser
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gövert
authors.forename: Bernat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soria
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nüssler
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hengstler
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fändrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006915:Hydroxytestosterones / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D013552:Swine; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006915:Hydroxytestosterones; D013739:Testosterone; C045261:16-hydroxytestosterone