title: 3D PLGA scaffolds improve differentiation and function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived hepatocytes.
abstract: Liver tissue engineering with hepatic stem cells provides a promising alternative to liver transplantation in patients with acute and chronic hepatic failure. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) bioscaffold was introduced for differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into hepatocytes. For hepatocyte differentiation, third passage BMSCs isolated from normal adult F344 rats were seeded into collagen-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (C-PLGA) 3D scaffolds with hepatocyte differentiation medium for 3 weeks. Hepatogenesis in scaffolds was characterized by reverse transcript PCR, western blot, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), periodic acid-Schiff staining, histochemistry, and biochemical assays with hepatic-specific genes and markers. A monolayer culture system was used as a control differentiation group. The results showed that isolated cells possessed the basic features of BMSCs. Differentiated hepatocyte-like cells in C-PLGA scaffolds expressed hepatocyte-specific markers [eg, albumin (ALB), alpha-fetoprotein, cytokeratin 18, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha, and cytochrome P450] at mRNA and protein levels. Most markers were expressed in C-PLGA group 1 week earlier than in the control group. Results of biocompatibility indicated that the differentiated hepatocyte-like cells grew more stably in C-PLGA scaffolds than that in controls during a 3-week differentiation period. The significantly higher metabolic functions in hepatocyte-like cells in the C-PLGA scaffold group further demonstrated the important role of the scaffold.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the phenomenon of transdifferentiation is uncommon, our successful transdifferentiation rates of BMSCs to mature hepatocytes prove the superiority of the C-PLGA scaffold in providing a suitable environment for such a differentiation. This material can possibly be used as a bioscaffold for liver tissue engineering in future clinical therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hongcui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jiaojiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Longyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Changyou
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Achilles A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Demetriou
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Lanjuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid