title: Strategies for immortalization of primary hepatocytes.
abstract: The liver has the unique capacity to regenerate in response to a damaging event. Liver regeneration is hereby largely driven by hepatocyte proliferation, which in turn relies on cell cycling. The hepatocyte cell cycle is a complex process that is tightly regulated by several well-established mechanisms. In vitro, isolated hepatocytes do not longer retain this proliferative capacity. However, in vitro cell growth can be boosted by immortalization of hepatocytes. Well-defined immortalization genes can be artificially overexpressed in hepatocytes or the cells can be conditionally immortalized leading to controlled cell proliferation. This paper discusses the current immortalization techniques and provides a state-of-the-art overview of the actually available immortalized hepatocyte-derived cell lines and their applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium. Electronic address: eramboer@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramboer
authors.affiliation: Unit of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Craene
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joery
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Kock
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vanhaecke
authors.affiliation: Unit of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berx
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rogiers
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans
keywords: Hepatocyte; Immortalization; Proliferation; Senescence