Year 4

Being able to generate hepatocytes from human pluripotent stem cells would advance many important research efforts, including studies of the pathobiology of liver diseases and the development of liver cell therapies. Unfortunately, realizing this potential has been hampered by shortcomings of human hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) generated with current in vitro-differentiation protocols, not only as it pertains to replicating the function of primary human hepatocytes, but also their ability to proliferate in vivo. We have made significant progress toward our goal of identifying regulators of hepatocyte differentiation. In addition, we have established the feasibility of liver repopulation of immune-deficient mice with HLCs generated in vitro, thereby proving their ability to mature and proliferate after transplantation