Cell reprogramming in liver with potential clinical correlations

The theory of cell reprogramming has developed rapidly during the past decades. Cell reprogramming has been widely used in the construction of experimental models and cytotherapy for certain diseases. Hepatocyte-like cells that are important for the treatment of end-stage liver disease can now be obtained with a variety of reprogramming techniques. However, improving the differentiation status and physiological function of these cells remains challenging. Hepatocytes can transdifferentiate into other types of cells directly, whereas other types of cells can also transdifferentiate into hepatocyte-like cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, cell reprogramming is to some extent similar to malignant cell transformation. During the initiation and progression of liver cancer, cell reprogramming is always associated with cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. In this review, we summarized the research related to cell reprogramming in liver and highlighted the potential effects of cell reprogramming in the pathogenesis and treatment of liver diseases.