Scalable Differentiation of Human iPSCs in a Multicellular Spheroid-based 3D Culture into Hepatocyte-like Cells through Direct Wnt/β-catenin Pathway Inhibition.

ABSTRACT: Treatment of acute liver failure by cell transplantation is hindered by a shortage of human hepatocytes. Current protocols for hepatic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) result in low yields, cellular heterogeneity, and limited scalability. In the present study, we have developed a novel multicellular spheroid-based hepatic differentiation protocol starting from embryoid bodies of hiPSCs (hiPSC-EBs) for robust mass production of human hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using two novel inhibitors of the Wnt pathway. The resultant hiPSC-EB-HLCs expressed liver-specific genes, secreted hepatic proteins such as Albumin, Alpha Fetoprotein, and Fibrinogen, metabolized ammonia, and displayed cytochrome P450 activities and functional activities typical of mature primary hep

SUBMITTER: Pettinato G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5018737 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature