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Updated: Apr 1, 2026
Efficient Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Liver Cells
Published on: June 11, 2019
Rapid and high-efficiency generation of mature functional hepatocyte-like cells from adipose-derived stem cells by a
Fen Xu1, Junli Liu2, Jie Deng3
1State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, No.17, section3, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China. xufen1224@163.com.
Abstract:
The generation of functional hepatocytes is a major challenge for regenerative medicine and drug discovery. Here we show a method that facilitates generation of induced functional hepatocytes (iHeps) from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) within 9 days. iHeps express hepatocytic gene programs and display functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes, including cytochrome P450 enzyme activity. Upon transplantation into mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute fulminant liver failure, iHeps restore the liver function and prolong survival. The work could contribute to the development of alternative strategies to obtain nonhepatic cell-derived mature hepatocytes with potential for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
