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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Isolation and Enrichment of Liver Progenitor Subsets Identified by a Novel Surface Marker Combination

Isolation and Enrichment of Liver Progenitor Subsets Identified by a Novel Surface Marker Combination

Published on: February 18, 2017

Stem cells and liver engineering.

Laura Ordovás¹, Yonsil Park, Catherine M Verfaillie

¹Interdepartmental Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

Biotechnology Advances

|August 3, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human hepatocytes are scarce, driving research into pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). New tools and bioreactor systems aim to improve PSC differentiation and culture for liver therapies and research.

Keywords:

Bioreactor Genetic engineering Hepatic differentiation Homologous recombination Microfluidic Nucleases PSC Stem cells

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Defined and Scalable Generation of Hepatocyte-like Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Defined and Scalable Generation of Hepatocyte-like Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: March 2, 2017

Area of Science:

Regenerative Medicine
Hepatology
Stem Cell Biology
Bioengineering

Background:

Human hepatocytes are essential for treating liver failure, bioartificial liver (BAL) devices, and pharmaceutical toxicity/metabolization studies.
A critical shortage of donor organs limits hepatocyte availability, necessitating methods for ex vivo expansion of functional hepatocytes.
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) offer a potential inexhaustible source, but directed differentiation into mature hepatocytes remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

To review advancements in tools for identifying mature hepatocytes non-invasively.
To discuss methods for lineage tracing of PSC progeny.
To explore novel culture systems, including bioreactors, for in vitro differentiation and maintenance of hepatic cells.

Main Methods:

Review of current literature on hepatocyte identification, PSC differentiation, and culture systems.
Discussion of lineage tracing techniques for PSC-derived cells.
Analysis of macro- and micro-scale bioreactor systems for liver tissue engineering and cell culture.

Main Results:

Development of tools for non-invasive identification of mature hepatocytes is ongoing.
Novel culture systems and bioreactors are being created to improve PSC differentiation and maintain hepatic cell function.
Two-dimensional (2D) static cultures are insufficient for recapitulating the in vivo cellular environment.

Conclusions:

Significant progress is being made in developing tools and systems to overcome challenges in hepatocyte generation from PSCs.
Bioreactor-based approaches show promise for improving the quality and functionality of PSC-derived hepatocytes and primary hepatocytes in culture.
These advancements are crucial for advancing liver disease treatment, regenerative medicine, and pharmaceutical research.