title: Multipotent stem/progenitor cells in the human foetal biliary tree.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Biliary tree, liver, and pancreas share a common embryological origin. We previously demonstrated the presence of stem/progenitor cells of endodermal origin in the adult human extrahepatic biliary tree. This study evaluated the human foetal biliary trees as sources of stem/progenitor cells of multiple endodermal-derived mature fates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human foetal intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree tissues and isolated cells were tested for cytoplasmic and surface markers of stem cells and committed progenitors, as well as endodermal transcription factors requisite for a liver versus pancreatic fate. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential mature fates of differentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Foetal biliary tree cells proliferated clonogenically for more than 1 month on plastic in a serum-free Kubota medium. After culture expansion, cells exhibited multipotency and could be restricted to certain lineages under defined microenvironments, including hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and pancreatic islet cells. Transplantation of foetal biliary tree cells into the livers of immunodeficient mice resulted in effective engraftment and differentiation into mature hepatocytes and cholangiocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foetal biliary trees contain multipotent stem/progenitor cells comparable with those in adults. These cells can be easily expanded and induced in vitro to differentiate into liver and pancreatic mature fates, and engrafted and differentiated into mature cells when transplanted in vivo. These findings further characterise the development of these stem/progenitor cell populations from foetuses to adults, which are thought to contribute to liver and pancreas organogenesis throughout life.
authors: Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Polo Pontino, Italy.
authors: Rossella
authors: R
authors: Semeraro
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Carpino
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Cardinale
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Onori
authors: Raffaele
authors: R
authors: Gentile
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Cantafora
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Franchitto
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Napoli
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Anceschi
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Brunelli
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Bosco
authors: Alessia
authors: A
authors: Torrice
authors: Lola
authors: L
authors: Reid
authors: Eugenio
authors: E
authors: Gaudio
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Alvaro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000166:cytology; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000166:cytology; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology; D010641:Phenotype