title: Application of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Liver Diseases.
abstract: Tens of millions of patients are affected by liver disease worldwide. Many of these patients can benefit from therapy involving hepatocyte transplantation. Liver transplantation is presently the only proven treatment for many medically refractory liver diseases including end-stage liver failure and inherited metabolic liver disease. However, the shortage in transplantable livers prevents over 40% of listed patients per year from receiving a liver transplant; many of these patients die before receiving an organ offer or become too sick to transplant. Therefore, new therapies are needed to supplement whole-organ liver transplantation and reduce mortality on waiting lists worldwide. Furthermore, the remarkable regenerative capacity of hepatocytes in vivo is exemplified by the increasing number of innovative cell-based therapies and animal models of human liver disorders. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have similar properties to those of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but bypass the ethical concerns of embryo destruction. Therefore, generation of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using iPSC technology may be beneficial for the treatment of severe liver diseases, screening of drug toxicities, basic research of several hepatocytic disorders, and liver transplantation. Here we briefly summarize the growing number of potential applications of iPSCs for treatment of liver disease.
authors: Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, China; †Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, China; †Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors: Xuehao
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: ‡ Division of Experimental Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, MN , USA.
authors: Scott L
authors: SL
authors: Nyberg
keywords: Cell therapy; Hepatocyte transplantation; Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); Liver diseases