申请人:GERON CORPORATION
公开号:EP2256187A1
公开(公告)日:2010-12-01
It has been discovered that when pluripotent stem cells are cultured in the presence of a hepatocyte differentiation agent, a population of cells is derived that has a remarkably high proportion of cells with phenotypic characteristics of liver cells. In one example, human embryonic stem cells are allowed to form embryoid bodies, and then combined with the differentiation agent n-butyrate, optionally supplemented with maturation factors. In another example, n-butyrate is added to human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free culture. Either way, a remarkably uniform cell population is obtained, which is predominated by cells with morphological features of hepatocytes, expressing surface markers characteristic of hepatocytes, and having enzymatic and biosynthetic activity important for liver function.; Since stem cells readily proliferate in culture, this system provides an abundant source of cells of the hepatocyte lineage for a variety of applications, such as drug screening, and replenishing liver function in the context of clinical treatment.
人们发现,当多能干细胞在肝细胞分化剂存在下进行培养时,会产生一种细胞群体,其中具有肝细胞表型特征的细胞比例非常高。在一个例子中,让人类胚胎干细胞形成类胚体,然后与分化剂正丁酸盐结合,可选择补充成熟因子。在另一个例子中,将正丁酸加入无饲养者培养的人类胚胎干细胞中。无论采用哪种方法,都能获得非常均匀的细胞群,其中主要是具有肝细胞形态特征的细胞,表达肝细胞特有的表面标志物,并具有对肝功能非常重要的酶和生物合成活性;由于干细胞在培养过程中容易增殖,该系统为各种应用提供了丰富的肝细胞系细胞来源,如药物筛选和在临床治疗中补充肝功能。