Hepatic maturation of human fetal hepatocytes in four-compartment three-dimensional perfusion culture.

Bio-artificial liver support systems have been utilized as bridging devices to support acute and chronic liver injury. However, prolonged function of adult hepatocytes has not been achieved due to compromised proliferation and long-term survival of adult cells in vitro. As an alternative cell source, we investigated the potential of human fetal hepatocytes (hFH) in a four-compartment hollow fiber-based three-dimensional (3D) perfusion culture system.

Quantitative comparison of stem cell marker-positive cells in fetal and term human amnion.

Scattered in the amniotic epithelium of the human term placenta are pluripotent stem cell marker-positive cells. Unlike other parts of the placenta, amniotic epithelial (AE) cells are derived from pluripotent epiblasts. It is hypothesized that most epiblast-derived fetal AE cells are positive for stem cell markers at the beginning of pregnancy and that the stem cell marker-positive cells scattered through the term amnion are remaining, epiblast-like stem cells.