Generation of hepatocytes expressing functional cytochromes P450 from a pancreatic progenitor cell line in vitro.

The proliferating AR42J-B13 pancreatic cell line is known to respond to glucocorticoid treatment by producing foci of cells that express the liver-specific albumin gene. We demonstrate that this cell line also expresses liver-specific or liver-enriched functional cytochrome P450 proteins when stimulated to trans-differentiate into hepatocytes by glucocorticoid. These data suggest that this cell line has an unusual ability to trans-differentiate into functional hepatocytes and that it could be possible to generate a limitless supply of functional hepatocyte-like cells in vitro.