Persistence of functional hepatocyte-like cells in immune-compromised mice.

Background: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be efficiently differentiated to hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) in vitro and demonstrate many of the functions and gene expression found in the adult liver.

Aims: In this study, we assess the therapeutic value of HLCs in long-term cell-based therapies in vivo.

Methods: hESC-derived HLCs were injected into the spleen of acutely injured NODscid(IL-2Rγ) null mice and analysed at various time points post-transplantation up to 3 months.

Generation of functional human hepatic endoderm from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Unlabelled: With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, it is now feasible to generate iPSCs with a defined genotype or disease state. When coupled with direct differentiation to a defined lineage, such as hepatic endoderm (HE), iPSCs would revolutionize the way we study human liver biology and generate efficient "off the shelf" models of human liver disease. Here, we show the "proof of concept" that iPSC lines representing both male and female sexes and two ethnic origins can be differentiated to HE at efficiencies of between 70%-90%, using a method mimicking physiological relevant condition.