Modelling foetal exposure to maternal smoking using hepatoblasts from pluripotent stem cells.

ABSTRACT: The liver is a dynamic organ which is both multifunctional and highly regenerative. A major role of the liver is to process both endo and xenobiotics. Cigarettes are an example of a legal and widely used drug which can cause major health problems for adults and constitute a particular risk to the foetus, if the mother smokes during pregnancy. Cigarette smoke contains a complex mixture of thousands of different xenobiotics, including nicotine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These affect foetal development in a sex-specific manner, inducing sex-dependant molecular responses in different organs. To date, the effect of maternal smoking on the foetal liver has been studied in vitro using cell lines, primary tissue and animal models. While these models have proven to be useful, poor cell p

SUBMITTER: Lucendo-Villarin B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5696490 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature