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Mitaka T, Ichinohe N, Tanimizu N. "Small Hepatocytes" in the Liver. Cells 2023; 12:2718. [PMID: 38067145 PMCID: PMC10705974 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mature hepatocytes (MHs) in an adult rodent liver are categorized into the following three subpopulations based on their proliferative capability: type I cells (MH-I), which are committed progenitor cells that possess a high growth capability and basal hepatocytic functions; type II cells (MH-II), which possess a limited proliferative capability; and type III cells (MH-III), which lose the ability to divide (replicative senescence) and reach the final differentiated state. These subpopulations may explain the liver's development and growth after birth. Generally, small-sized hepatocytes emerge in mammal livers. The cells are characterized by being morphologically identical to hepatocytes except for their size, which is substantially smaller than that of ordinary MHs. We initially discovered small hepatocytes (SHs) in the primary culture of rat hepatocytes. We believe that SHs are derived from MH-I and play a role as hepatocytic progenitors to supply MHs. The population of MH-I (SHs) is distributed in the whole lobules, a part of which possesses a self-renewal capability, and decreases with age. Conversely, injured livers of experimental models and clinical cases showed the emergence of SHs. Studies demonstrate the involvement of SHs in liver regeneration. SHs that appeared in the injured livers are not a pure population but a mixture of two distinct origins, MH-derived and hepatic-stem-cell-derived cells. The predominant cell-derived SHs depend on the proliferative capability of the remaining MHs after the injury. This review will focus on the SHs that appeared in the liver and discuss the significance of SHs in liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Mitaka
- Department of Tissue Development and Regeneration, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; (N.I.); (N.T.)
| | - Norihisa Ichinohe
- Department of Tissue Development and Regeneration, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; (N.I.); (N.T.)
| | - Naoki Tanimizu
- Department of Tissue Development and Regeneration, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan; (N.I.); (N.T.)
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
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Panwar A, Das P, Tan LP. 3D Hepatic Organoid-Based Advancements in LIVER Tissue Engineering. Bioengineering (Basel) 2021; 8:185. [PMID: 34821751 PMCID: PMC8615121 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering8110185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver-associated diseases and tissue engineering approaches based on in vitro culture of functional Primary human hepatocytes (PHH) had been restricted by the rapid de-differentiation in 2D culture conditions which restricted their usability. It was proven that cells growing in 3D format can better mimic the in vivo microenvironment, and thus help in maintaining metabolic activity, phenotypic properties, and longevity of the in vitro cultures. Again, the culture method and type of cell population are also recognized as important parameters for functional maintenance of primary hepatocytes. Hepatic organoids formed by self-assembly of hepatic cells are microtissues, and were able to show long-term in vitro maintenance of hepato-specific characteristics. Thus, hepatic organoids were recognized as an effective tool for screening potential cures and modeling liver diseases effectively. The current review summarizes the importance of 3D hepatic organoid culture over other conventional 2D and 3D culture models and its applicability in Liver tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Panwar
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Institute of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow-Deva Road Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh 225003, India
| | - Prativa Das
- The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA;
| | - Lay Poh Tan
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
- Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), Singapore 639798, Singapore
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3
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Wang K, Sun D. Cancer stem cells of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 9:23306-23314. [PMID: 29796190 PMCID: PMC5955417 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor arising from hepatocytes. The hepatocellular carcinoma is dictated by a subset of cells with stem cell-like features. These cells are apoptosis-resistant and have particular biomarkers, which serve as seeds in different stages of tumorigenesis including initiation, progression, metastasis, and relapse of hepatocellular carcinoma. Signaling pathways of cancer stem cells are novel targets for the radical intervention of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kewei Wang
- Institute of Cell Biotechnology, China and Russia Medical Research Center, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology (23618504), National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, Harbin, China.,Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dianjun Sun
- Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology (23618504), National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, Harbin, China.,Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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4
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Abdellatif H, Shiha G, Saleh DM, Eltahry H, Botros KG. Effect of human umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation on oval cell response in 2-AAF/CCL4 liver injury model: experimental immunohistochemical study. Inflamm Regen 2017; 37:5. [PMID: 29259704 PMCID: PMC5725643 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-017-0035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oval cells, specific liver progenitors, are activated in response to injury. The human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) is a possible source of transplantable hepatic progenitors and can be used in cases of severe liver injury. We detected the effect of hUCB stem cell transplantation on natural response of oval cells to injury. Methods Twenty-four female albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: (A) control, (B) liver injury with hepatocyte block, and (C) hUCB transplanted group. Hepatocyte block was performed by administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) for 12 days. CCL4 was administrated at day 5 from experiment start. Animals were sacrificed at 9 days post CCL4 administration, and samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Oval cell response to injury was evaluated by the percentage of oval cells in the liver tissue and frequency of cells incorporated into new ducts. Results Immunohistochemical analysis of oval cell response to injury was performed. There was significant deviation in the hUCB-transplanted (4.9 ± 1.4) and liver injury groups (2.4 ± 0.9) as compared to control (0.89 ± 0.4) 9 days post injury. Detection of oval cell response was dependant on OV-6 immunoreactivity. For mere localization of cells with human origin, CD34 antihuman immunoreactivity was performed. There was no significant difference in endogenous OV-6 immunoreactivity following stem cell transplantation as compared to the liver injury group. Conclusions In vivo transplantation of cord blood stem cells (hUCB) does not interfere with natural oval cell response to liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Abdellatif
- Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Gamal Shiha
- Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt.,Egyptian Liver Research Institute and Hospital (ELRIAH), Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Dalia M Saleh
- Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Huda Eltahry
- Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Kamal G Botros
- Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
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5
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Abstract
Liver regeneration is a fascinating and complex process with many medical implications. An important component of this regenerative process is the hepatic progenitor cell (HPC). These appealing cells are able to participate in the renewal of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes when the normal homeostatic regeneration is exhausted. Moreover, the HPC niche is of vital importance toward the activation, differentiation, and proliferation of the HPC. This niche provides a rich microenvironment for the regulation of the HPC, thanks to the intercellular secretion of molecules. New findings indicate that the regenerative possibilities in the liver could provide a diverse basis for therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Van Haele
- Liver Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Minderbroederstraat 12, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tania Roskams
- Liver Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Minderbroederstraat 12, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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6
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Abstract
Under normal homeostatic conditions, hepatocyte renewal is a slow process and complete turnover likely takes at least a year. Studies of hepatocyte regeneration after a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (2/3 PH) have strongly suggested that periportal hepatocytes are the driving force behind regenerative re-population, but recent murine studies have brought greater complexity to the issue. Although periportal hepatocytes are still considered pre-eminent in the response to 2/3 PH, new studies suggest that normal homeostatic renewal is driven by pericentral hepatocytes under the control of Wnts, while pericentral injury provokes the clonal expansion of a subpopulation of periportal hepatocytes expressing low levels of biliary duct genes such as
Sox9 and
osteopontin. Furthermore, some clarity has been given to the debate on the ability of biliary-derived hepatic progenitor cells to generate physiologically meaningful numbers of hepatocytes in injury models, demonstrating that under appropriate circumstances these cells can re-populate the whole liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm R Alison
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
| | - Wey-Ran Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
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7
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Advances in Liver Regeneration: Revisiting Hepatic Stem/Progenitor Cells and Their Origin. Stem Cells Int 2015; 2016:7920897. [PMID: 26798363 PMCID: PMC4699025 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7920897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver has evolved to become a highly plastic organ with extraordinary regenerative capabilities. What drives liver regeneration is still being debated. Adult liver stem/progenitor cells have been characterized and used to produce functional hepatocytes and biliary cells in vitro. However, in vivo, numerous studies have questioned whether hepatic progenitor cells have a significant role in liver regeneration. Mature hepatocytes have recently been shown to be more plastic than previously believed and give rise to new hepatocytes after acute and chronic injury. In this review, we discuss current knowledge in the field of liver regeneration and the importance of the serotonin pathway as a clinical target for patients with liver dysfunction.
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8
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Ji XK, Xie YK, Zhong JQ, Xu QG, Zeng QQ, Wang Y, Zhang QY, Shan YF. GSK-3β suppresses the proliferation of rat hepatic oval cells through modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2015; 36:334-42. [PMID: 25661318 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2014.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) plays a crucial role in hepatic biology, including liver development, regeneration, proliferation and carcinogenesis. In this study we investigated the role of GSK-3β in regulation of growth of hepatic oval cells in vitro and in liver regeneration in partially hepatectomized rats. METHODS WB-F344 cells, the rat hepatic stem-like epithelial cells, were used as representative of oval cells. Cell viability was examined using a WST-8 assay. The cells were transfected with a recombinant lentivirus expressing siRNA against GSK-3β (GSK-3βRNAiLV) or a lentivirus that overexpressed GSK-3β (GC-GSK-3βLV). Adult rats underwent partial (70%) hepatectomy, and liver weight and femur length were measured at d 7 after the surgery. The expression of GSK-3β, phospho-Ser9-GSK-3β, β-catenin and cyclin D1 was examined with immunoblotting assays or immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Treatment of WB-F344 cells with the GSK-3β inhibitor SB216763 (5 and 10 μmol/L) dose-dependently increased the levels of phospho-Ser9-GSK-3β, but not the levels of total GSK-3β, and promoted the cell proliferation. Knockout of GSK-3β with GSK-3βRNAiLV increased the cell proliferation, whereas overexpression of GSK-3β with GC-GSK-3βLV decreased the proliferation. Both SB216763 and GSK-3βRNAiLV significantly increased the levels of β-catenin and cyclin D1 in the cells, whereas GSK-3β overexpression decreased their levels. In rats with a partial hepatectomy, administration of SB216763 (2 mg/kg, ip) significantly increased the number of oval cells, the levels of phospho-Ser9-GSK-3β, β-catenin and cyclin D1 in liver, as well as the ratio of liver weight to femur length at d 7 after the surgery. CONCLUSION GSK-3β suppresses the proliferation of hepatic oval cells by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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9
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Park SC, Nguyen NT, Eun JR, Zhang Y, Jung YJ, Tschudy-Seney B, Trotsyuk A, Lam A, Ramsamooj R, Zhang Y, Theise ND, Zern MA, Duan Y. Identification of cancer stem cell subpopulations of CD34(+) PLC/PRF/5 that result in three types of human liver carcinomas. Stem Cells Dev 2015; 24:1008-21. [PMID: 25519836 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2014.0405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CD34(+) stem cells play an important role during liver development and regeneration. Thus, we hypothesized that some human liver carcinomas (HLCs) might be derived from transformed CD34(+) stem cells. Here, we determined that a population of CD34(+) cells isolated from PLC/PRF/5 hepatoma cells (PLC) appears to function as liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) by forming HLCs in immunodeficient mice with as few as 100 cells. Moreover, the CD34(+) PLC subpopulation cells had an advantage over CD34(-) PLCs at initiating tumors. Three types of HLCs were generated from CD34(+) PLC: hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs); cholangiocarcinomas (CC); and combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinomas (CHCs). Tumors formed in mice transplanted with 12 subpopulations and 6 progeny subpopulations of CD34(+) PLC cells. Interestingly, progenies with certain surface antigens (CD133, CD44, CD90, or EPCAM) predominantly yielded HCCs. CD34(+) PLCs that also expressed OV6 and their progeny OV6(+) cells primarily produced CHC and CC. This represents the first experiment to demonstrate that the OV6(+) antigen is associated with human CHC and CC. CD34(+) PLCs that also expressed CD31 and their progeny CD31(+) cells formed CHCs. Gene expression patterns and tumor cell populations from all xenografts exhibited diverse patterns, indicating that tumor-initiating cells (TICs) with distinct antigenic profiles contribute to cancer cell heterogeneity. Therefore, we identified CD34(+) PLC cells functioning as LCSCs generating three types of HLCs. Eighteen subpopulations from one origin had the capacity independently to initiate tumors, thus functioning as TICs. This finding has broad implications for better understanding of the multistep model of tumor initiation and progression. Our finding also indicates that CD34(+) PLCs that also express OV6 or CD31 result in types of HLCs. This is the first report that PLC/PRF/5 subpopulations expressing CD34 in combination with particular antigens defines categories of HLCs, implicating a diversity of origins for HLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Cheol Park
- 1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
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10
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Tarlow BD, Pelz C, Naugler WE, Wakefield L, Wilson EM, Finegold MJ, Grompe M. Bipotential adult liver progenitors are derived from chronically injured mature hepatocytes. Cell Stem Cell 2014; 15:605-18. [PMID: 25312494 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adult liver progenitor cells are biliary-like epithelial cells that emerge only under injury conditions in the periportal region of the liver. They exhibit phenotypes of both hepatocytes and bile ducts. However, their origin and their significance to injury repair remain unclear. Here, we used a chimeric lineage tracing system to demonstrate that hepatocytes contribute to the progenitor pool. RNA-sequencing, ultrastructural analysis, and in vitro progenitor assays revealed that hepatocyte-derived progenitors were distinct from their biliary-derived counterparts. In vivo lineage tracing and serial transplantation assays showed that hepatocyte-derived proliferative ducts retained a memory of their origin and differentiated back into hepatocytes upon cessation of injury. Similarly, human hepatocytes in chimeric mice also gave rise to biliary progenitors in vivo. We conclude that human and mouse hepatocytes can undergo reversible ductal metaplasia in response to injury, expand as ducts, and subsequently contribute to restoration of the hepatocyte mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden D Tarlow
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | - Carl Pelz
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Willscott E Naugler
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Leslie Wakefield
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | - Milton J Finegold
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Markus Grompe
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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11
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Kadota Y, Yagi H, Inomata K, Matsubara K, Hibi T, Abe Y, Kitago M, Shinoda M, Obara H, Itano O, Kitagawa Y. Mesenchymal stem cells support hepatocyte function in engineered liver grafts. Organogenesis 2014; 10:268-77. [PMID: 24488046 DOI: 10.4161/org.27879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that organ decellularization is a promising approach to facilitate the clinical application of regenerative therapy by providing a platform for organ engineering. This unique strategy uses native matrices to act as a reservoir for the functional cells which may show therapeutic potential when implanted into the body. Appropriate cell sources for artificial livers have been debated for some time. The desired cell type in artificial livers is primary hepatocytes, but in addition, other supportive cells may facilitate this stem cell technology. In this context, the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) is an option meeting the criteria for therapeutic organ engineering. Ideally, supportive cells are required to (1) reduce the hepatic cell mass needed in an engineered liver by enhancing hepatocyte function, (2) modulate hepatic regeneration in a paracrine fashion or by direct contact, and (3) enhance the preservability of parenchymal cells during storage. Here, we describe enhanced hepatic function achieved using a strategy of sequential infusion of cells and illustrate the advantages of co-cultivating bone marrow-derived MSCs with primary hepatocytes in the engineered whole-liver scaffold. These co-recellularized liver scaffolds colonized by MSCs and hepatocytes were transplanted into live animals. After blood flow was established, we show that expression of adhesion molecules and proangiogenic factors was upregulated in the graft.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshie Kadota
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yagi
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenta Inomata
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Matsubara
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taizo Hibi
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Abe
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minoru Kitago
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shinoda
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Obara
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Itano
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Kitagawa
- Department of Surgery; Keio University; School of Medicine; Tokyo, Japan
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12
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Conigliaro A, Amicone L, Costa V, De Santis Puzzonia M, Mancone C, Sacchetti B, Cicchini C, Garibaldi F, Brenner DA, Kisseleva T, Bianco P, Tripodi M. Evidence for a common progenitor of epithelial and mesenchymal components of the liver. Cell Death Differ 2013; 20:1116-23. [PMID: 23686136 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2013.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissues of the adult organism maintain the homeostasis and respond to injury by means of progenitor/stem cell compartments capable to give rise to appropriate progeny. In organs composed by histotypes of different embryological origins (e.g. the liver), the tissue turnover may in theory involve different stem/precursor cells able to respond coordinately to physiological or pathological stimuli. In the liver, a progenitor cell compartment, giving rise to hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, can be activated by chronic injury inhibiting hepatocyte proliferation. The precursor compartment guaranteeing turnover of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) (perisinusoidal cells implicated with the origin of the liver fibrosis) in adult organ is yet unveiled. We show here that epithelial and mesenchymal liver cells (hepatocytes and HSCs) may arise from a common progenitor. Sca+ murine progenitor cells were found to coexpress markers of epithelial and mesenchymal lineages and to give rise, within few generations, to cells that segregate the lineage-specific markers into two distinct subpopulations. Notably, these progenitor cells, clonally derived, when transplanted in healthy livers, were found to generate epithelial and mesenchymal liver-specific derivatives (i.e. hepatocytes and HSCs) properly integrated in the liver architecture. These evidences suggest the existence of a 'bona fide' organ-specific meso-endodermal precursor cell, thus profoundly modifying current models of adult progenitor commitment believed, so far, to be lineage-restricted. Heterotopic transplantations, which confirm the dual differentiation potentiality of those cells, indicates as tissue local cues are necessary to drive a full hepatic differentiation. These data provide first evidences for an adult stem/precursor cell capable to differentiate in both parenchymal and non-parenchymal organ-specific components and candidate the liver as the instructive site for the reservoir compartment of HSC precursors as yet non-localized in the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Conigliaro
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Haematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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13
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Abstract
Normally, in fish fin regeneration, bone regenerates from bone. But what happens when there is no bone? Singh et al. (2012) show in this issue of Developmental Cell that the bony rays still regenerate from an alternative cell source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M W Slack
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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14
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Hong IH, Han SY, Ki MR, Moon YM, Park JK, You SY, Lee EM, Kim AY, Lee EJ, Jeong JH, Kang KS, Jeong KS. Inhibition of kupffer cell activity improves transplantation of human adipose-derived stem cells and liver functions. Cell Transplant 2012; 22:447-59. [PMID: 22546493 DOI: 10.3727/096368912x640583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous approaches to cell transplantation of the hepatic or the extrahepatic origin into liver tissue have been developed; however, the efficiency of cell transplantation remains low and liver functions are not well corrected. The liver is a highly immunoreactive organ that contains many resident macrophages known as Kupffer cells. Here, we show that the inhibition of Kupffer cell activity improves stem cell transplantation into liver tissue and corrects some of the liver functions under conditions of liver injury. We found that, when Kupffer cells were inhibited by glycine, numerous adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were successfully transplanted into livers, and these transplanted cells showed hepatoprotective effects, including decrease of liver injury factors, increase of liver regeneration, and albumin production. On the contrary, injected ASCs without glycine recruited numerous Kupffer cells, not lymphocytes, and showed low transplantation efficiency. Intriguingly, successfully transplanted ASCs in liver tissue modulated Kupffer cell activity to inhibit tumor necrosis factor-α secretion. Thus, our data show that Kupffer cell inactivation is an important step in order to improve ASC transplantation efficiency and therapeutic potential in liver injuries. In addition, the hepatoprotective function of glycine has synergic effects on liver protection and the engraftment of ASCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Hwa Hong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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15
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Abstract
Hepatoblasts are considered to be liver stem/progenitor cells in the fetus because they propagate and differentiate into two types of liver epithelial cells, hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. In adults, oval cells that emerge in severely injured liver are considered facultative hepatic stem/progenitor cells. However, the nature of oval cells has remained unclear for long time due to the lack of a method to isolate them. It has also been unclear whether liver stem/progenitor cells exist in normal adult liver. Recently, we and others have successfully identified oval cells and adult liver stem/progenitor cells. Here, we describe the identification and isolation of mouse liver stem/progenitor cells by utilizing antibodies against specific cell surface marker molecules.
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16
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17
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Gracz AD, Magness ST. Sry-box (Sox) transcription factors in gastrointestinal physiology and disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2011; 300:G503-15. [PMID: 21292996 PMCID: PMC3302185 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00489.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The genetic mechanisms underlying tissue maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract are critical for the proper function of the digestive system under normal physiological stress. The identification of transcription factors and related signal transduction pathways that regulate stem cell maintenance and lineage allocation is attractive from a clinical standpoint in that it may provide targets for novel cell- or drug-based therapies. Sox [sex-determining region Y (Sry) box-containing] factors are a family of transcription factors that are emerging as potent regulators of stem cell maintenance and cell fate decisions in multiple organ systems and might provide valuable insight toward the understanding of these processes in endodermally derived tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we focus on the known genetic functions of Sox factors and their roles in epithelial tissues of the esophagus, stomach, intestine, colon, pancreas, and liver. Additionally, we discuss pathological conditions in the gastrointestinal tract that are associated with a dysregulation of Sox factors. Further study of Sox factors and their role in gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology may lead to advances that facilitate control of tissue maintenance and development of advanced clinical therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. D. Gracz
- 1Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and ,2Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - S. T. Magness
- 1Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and
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18
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Abstract
There has been considerable interest in cancer stem cells (CSCs) among cancer biologists and clinicians, most likely because of their role in the heterogeneity of cancer and their potential application in cancer therapeutics. Recent studies suggest that CSCs play a key role in liver carcinogenesis. A small subpopulation of cancer cells with CSC properties has been identified and characterized from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, animal models and human primary HCCs. Considering the high mortality and ineffectiveness of current therapies for HCC, understanding the characteristics and function of CSCs is likely to lead to development of new therapies resulting in improvement of patient survival. This review summarizes recent progress in liver cancer stem cell research with regard to the identification, cell origin, regulation of self-renewal capacity, and therapeutic implications of liver CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 420 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Vidal-Vanaclocha F. Architectural and Functional Aspects of the Liver with Implications for Cancer Metastasis. LIVER METASTASIS: BIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MANAGEMENT 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0292-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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20
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Best DH, Coleman WB. Activation and Regulation of Reserve Liver Progenitor Cells. STEM CELL REGULATORS 2011; 87:93-109. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-386015-6.00026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Chiu CC, Sheu JC, Chen CH, Lee CZ, Chiou LL, Chou SH, Huang GT, Lee HS. Global gene expression profiling reveals a key role of CD44 in hepatic oval-cell reaction after 2-AAF/CCl4 injury in rodents. Histochem Cell Biol 2010; 132:479-89. [PMID: 19756695 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-009-0634-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Liver progenitors, so-called oval cells, proliferate remarkably from periportal areas after severe liver injury when hepatocyte regeneration is compromised. These cells invade far into the liver parenchyma. Molecular mechanisms underlying these behaviors of oval cells remain poorly understood. In this study, we treated rats with 2-acetylaminofluorene/carbon tetrachloride to induce hepatic oval cells. By expression microarray analysis, we investigated global gene expression profiles in liver tissue, with an emphasis on adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), growth factors/cytokines, and receptors that might contribute to the distinct behaviors of oval cells. Genes upregulated at least twofold were selected. We then performed immunostaining to verify the microarray results and identified expression of MMP-7 and CD44 in oval cells. Staining of cytokeratin (CK)-19, an oval-cell marker, was similar between oval cells located next to periportal areas and those located far within the parenchyma. In contrast, CD44 staining was more intense in the parenchyma than in periportal areas, suggesting a role of CD44 in oval-cell invasion. Moreover, newly differentiated CK-19+ hepatocytes within foci did not show CD44 staining, suggesting that CD44 is related to the undifferentiated oval-cell phenotype. We then investigated oval-cell reactivity in CD44-deficient mice fed an oval cell-inducing diet of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine. Results showed significantly reduced oval-cell reactivity in CD44-deficient mice. Thus, oval cells express MMP-7 and CD44, and CD44 appears to play critical roles in the proliferation, invasion, and differentiation of hepatic oval cells in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Chang Chiu
- The Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Engineering, Fu-Jen Catholic University, and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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22
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Conigliaro A, Brenner DA, Kisseleva T. Hepatic progenitors for liver disease: current position. STEM CELLS AND CLONING-ADVANCES AND APPLICATIONS 2010; 3:39-47. [PMID: 24198509 PMCID: PMC3781731 DOI: 10.2147/sccaa.s6035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Liver regeneration restores the original functionality of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in response to injury. It is regulated on several levels, with different cellular populations contributing to this process, eg, hepatocytes, liver precursor cells, intrahepatic stem cells. In response to injury, mature hepatocytes have the capability to proliferate and give rise to new hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Meanwhile, liver precursor cells (oval cells) have become the most recognized bipotential precursor cells in the damaged liver. They rapidly proliferate, change their cellular composition, and differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes to compensate for the cellular loss and maintain liver homeostasis. There is a growing body of evidence that oval cells originate from the intrahepatic stem cell(s), which in turn give(s) rise to epithelial, including oval cells, and/or other hepatic cells of nonepithelial origin. Since there is a close relationship between the liver and hematopoiesis, bone marrow derived cells can also contribute to liver regeneration by the fusion of myeloid cells with damaged hepatocytes, or differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells. The current review discusses the contribution of different cells to liver regeneration and their characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Conigliaro
- University "La Sapienza", Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia Policlinico Umberto I, V Clinica Medica, Rome, Italy
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Darwiche H, Petersen BE. Biology of the adult hepatic progenitor cell: "ghosts in the machine". PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2010; 97:229-49. [PMID: 21074735 PMCID: PMC3122078 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385233-5.00008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This chapter reviews some of the basic biological principles governing adult progenitor cells of the liver and the mechanisms by which they operate. If scientists were better able to understand the conditions that govern stem cell mechanics in the liver, it may be possible to apply that understanding in a clinical setting for use in the treatment or cure of human pathologies. This chapter gives a basic introduction to hepatic progenitor cell biology and explores what is known about progenitor cell-mediated liver regeneration. We also discuss the putative stem cell niche in the liver, as well as the signaling pathways involved in stem cell regulation. Finally, the isolation and clinical application of stem cells to human diseases is reviewed, along with the current thoughts on the relationship between stem cells and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houda Darwiche
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Okabe M, Tsukahara Y, Tanaka M, Suzuki K, Saito S, Kamiya Y, Tsujimura T, Nakamura K, Miyajima A. Potential hepatic stem cells reside in EpCAM+ cells of normal and injured mouse liver. Development 2009; 136:1951-60. [PMID: 19429791 DOI: 10.1242/dev.031369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatic oval cells are considered to be facultative hepatic stem cells (HSCs) that differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in severely injured liver. Hepatic oval cells have also been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, their nature and origin remain elusive. To isolate and characterize mouse oval cells, we searched for cell surface molecules expressed on oval cells and analyzed their nature at the single-cell level by flow cytometric analysis and in the in vitro colony formation assay. We demonstrate that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is expressed in both mouse normal cholangiocytes and oval cells, whereas its related protein, TROP2, is expressed exclusively in oval cells, establishing TROP2 as a novel marker to distinguish oval cells from normal cholangiocytes. EpCAM(+) cells isolated from injured liver proliferate to form colonies in vitro, and the clonally expanded cells differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, suggesting that the oval cell fraction contains potential HSCs. Interestingly, such cells with HSC characteristics exist among EpCAM(+) cells of normal liver. Intriguingly, comparison of the colony formation of EpCAM(+) cells in normal and injured liver reveals little difference in the number of potential HSCs, strongly suggesting that most proliferating mouse oval cells represent transit-amplifying cells rather than HSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuko Okabe
- Laboratory of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
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Influence of portosystemic shunt on liver regeneration after hepatic resection in pigs. HPB SURGERY : A WORLD JOURNAL OF HEPATIC, PANCREATIC AND BILIARY SURGERY 2009; 2009:835965. [PMID: 19794827 PMCID: PMC2753798 DOI: 10.1155/2009/835965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2009] [Revised: 06/18/2009] [Accepted: 07/13/2009] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Objective. The minimal amount of liver mass necessary for regeneration is still a matter of debate. The aim of the study was to analyze liver regeneration factors after extended resection with or without portosystemic shunt. Methods. An extended left hemihepatectomy was performed in 25 domestic pigs, in 15 cases after a portosystemic H-shunt. The expression of Ki-67, VEGF, TGF-α, FGF, and CK-7 was analyzed in paraffin-embedded tissue sections.
Results. The volume of the remnant liver increased about 2.5-fold at the end of the first week after resection. With 19 cells/10 Glisson fields versus 4/10, Ki-67-expression was significantly higher in the H-shunt group. VEGF- and CK-7-expressions were significantly higher in the control group. No significant change was found in FGF-expression. The expression of TGF-α was higher, but not significantly, in the control group. Conclusions. The expression of Ki-67, and therefore hepatocyte regeneration, was increased in the shunt group. The expression of CK-7 on biliary epithelium and the expression of VEGF, however, were stronger in the control group.
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DUNCAN ANDREWW, DORRELL CRAIG, GROMPE MARKUS. Stem cells and liver regeneration. Gastroenterology 2009; 137:466-81. [PMID: 19470389 PMCID: PMC3136245 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Revised: 04/13/2009] [Accepted: 05/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
One of the defining features of the liver is the capacity to maintain a constant size despite injury. Although the precise molecular signals involved in the maintenance of liver size are not completely known, it is clear that the liver delicately balances regeneration with overgrowth. Mammals, for example, can survive surgical removal of up to 75% of the total liver mass. Within 1 week after liver resection, the total number of liver cells is restored. Moreover, liver overgrowth can be induced by a variety of signals, including hepatocyte growth factor or peroxisome proliferators; the liver quickly returns to its normal size when the proliferative signal is removed. The extent to which liver stem cells mediate liver regeneration has been hotly debated. One of the primary reasons for this controversy is the use of multiple definitions for the hepatic stem cell. Definitions for the liver stem cell include the following: (1) cells responsible for normal tissue turnover, (2) cells that give rise to regeneration after partial hepatectomy, (3) cells responsible for progenitor-dependent regeneration, (4) cells that produce hepatocyte and bile duct epithelial phenotypes in vitro, and (5) transplantable liver-repopulating cells. This review will consider liver stem cells in the context of each definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- ANDREW W. DUNCAN
- Oregon Stem Cell Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - CRAIG DORRELL
- Oregon Stem Cell Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - MARKUS GROMPE
- Oregon Stem Cell Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland,
Papé Family Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumour with a poor prognosis. Current therapeutic strategies against this disease target mostly rapidly growing differentiated tumour cells. However, the result is often dismal due to the chemoresistant nature of this tumour type. Recent research efforts on stem cells and cancer biology have shed light on new directions for the eradication of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in HCC. The liver is a distinctive organ with the ability of tissue renewal in response to injury. Based on the hypothesis that cancer development is derived from the hierarchy of the stem cell system, we will briefly discuss the origin of liver stem cells and its relation to HCC development. We will also summarize the current CSC markers in HCC and discuss their relevance to the treatment of this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence Kin Wah Lee
- Liver Cancer and Hepatitis Research Laboratory and S. H. Ho Foundation Research Laboratories, Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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Yu J, Sheung N, Soliman EM, Spirli C, Dranoff JA. Transcriptional regulation of IL-6 in bile duct epithelia by extracellular ATP. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2009; 296:G563-71. [PMID: 19136380 PMCID: PMC2660176 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.90502.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The inflammatory cytokine IL-6 is essential for cell survival after liver injury. Bile duct epithelia (BDE) markedly upregulate IL-6 release after liver injury, but the mechanisms regulating this have not been defined. Purinergic signals induce multiple potent downstream effects in BDE, so the goals of this study were to determine whether extracellular ATP regulates BDE IL-6 transcription and to identify the molecular mechanisms regulating this process. Effects of extracellular nucleotides on IL-6 transcription in primary rat bile duct epithelia were assessed. The relative effects of cAMP and cytosolic calcium were determined by use of agonists and antagonists. The role of the cAMP response element (CRE) was determined by site-directed mutagenesis. We found that ATP potently upregulated IL-6 mRNA, and that the pharmacological profile for IL-6 upregulation was most consistent with the newly identified P2Y11 receptor. This occurred in a cAMP-dependent and calcium-dependent fashion. The effect of cAMP and calcium agonists on IL-6 promoter activity was synergistic, and mutation of the IL-6 CRE blocked upregulation by ATP. Taken together, these data show that extracellular ATP acts through a mechanism involving a rat P2Y receptor functionally related to the P2Y11 receptor, cAMP, and calcium signals and that the IL-6 promoter CRE to upregulate transcription of IL-6 in BDE. Since IL-6 has such critical importance in the liver, it is likely that this pathway is of great relevance to the understanding of hepatic response to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yu
- Yale University School of Medicine/Yale Liver Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nina Sheung
- Yale University School of Medicine/Yale Liver Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elwy M. Soliman
- Yale University School of Medicine/Yale Liver Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Carlo Spirli
- Yale University School of Medicine/Yale Liver Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jonathan A. Dranoff
- Yale University School of Medicine/Yale Liver Center, New Haven, Connecticut
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29
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Alison MR, Islam S, Lim S. Stem cells in liver regeneration, fibrosis and cancer: the good, the bad and the ugly. J Pathol 2009; 217:282-98. [PMID: 18991329 DOI: 10.1002/path.2453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The worldwide shortage of donor livers to transplant end stage liver disease patients has prompted the search for alternative cell therapies for intractable liver diseases, such as acute liver failure, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Under normal circumstances the liver undergoes a low rate of hepatocyte 'wear and tear' renewal, but can mount a brisk regenerative response to the acute loss of two-thirds or more of the parenchymal mass. A body of evidence favours placement of a stem cell niche in the periportal regions, although the identity of such stem cells in rodents and man is far from clear. In animal models of liver disease, adopting strategies to provide a selective advantage for transplanted hepatocytes has proved highly effective in repopulating recipient livers, but the poor success of today's hepatocyte transplants can be attributed to the lack of a clinically applicable procedure to force a similar repopulation of the human liver. The activation of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) is clearly vital for survival in many cases of acute liver failure, and the signals that promote such reactions are being elucidated. Bone marrow cells (BMCs) make, at best, a trivial contribution to hepatocyte replacement after damage, but other BMCs contribute to the hepatic collagen-producing cell population, resulting in fibrotic disease; paradoxically, BMC transplantation may help alleviate established fibrotic disease. HCC may have its origins in either hepatocytes or HPCs, and HCCs, like other solid tumours appear to be sustained by a minority population of cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Alison
- Centre for Diabetes and Metabolic Medicine, St Bartholomew's Hospital and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
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30
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Isolation and characterization of hepatic stem cells, or "oval cells," from rat livers. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 482:387-405. [PMID: 19089369 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-060-7_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The pace of research on the potential therapeutic uses of liver stem cells or "oval cells" has accelerated significantly in recent years. Concurrent advancements in techniques for the isolation and characterization of these cells have helped fuel this research. Several models now exist for the induction of oval cell proliferation in rodents. Protocols for the isolation and culture of these cells have evolved to the point that they may be set up in any laboratory equipped for cell culture. The advent of magnetic cell sorting has eliminated reliance on expensive flow cytometric sorting equipment to generate highly enriched populations of oval cells. Our laboratory has had much success in using the oval cell surface marker Thy-1 in combination with magnetic sorting to produce material suitable for testing the influence of a myriad of chemical signaling molecules on the oval cell phenotype. This chapter will describe our basic strategy for oval cell induction and isolation. Additionally, two in vitro procedures are described which the reader may find useful in the early stages of developing an oval cell research project.
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Roskams T. Relationships among stellate cell activation, progenitor cells, and hepatic regeneration. Clin Liver Dis 2008; 12:853-60, ix. [PMID: 18984470 DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2008.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) play an important role in liver fibrogenesis. They are also key players in liver regeneration as part of the stem cell niche of hepatocytes and hepatic progenitor cells. They produce growth stimulating and inhibiting factors for these epithelial cell compartments. In addition, recent studies suggest a role for HSCs themselves for being progenitors of epithelial cells through a transitional mesenchymal phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Roskams
- Head Liver Research Unit, Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Kubota K, Soeda J, Misawa R, Mihara M, Miwa S, Ise H, Takahashi M, Miyagawa S. Bone marrow-derived cells fuse with hepatic oval cells but are not involved in hepatic tumorigenesis in the choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented diet rat model. Carcinogenesis 2008; 29:448-54. [DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgm279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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Alison MR, Choong C, Lim S. Application of liver stem cells for cell therapy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2007; 18:819-26. [PMID: 17997335 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2007.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2007] [Accepted: 09/28/2007] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide shortage of donor livers to transplant end stage liver disease patients has prompted the search for alternative cell therapies for intractable liver disease. Embryonic stem cells can be readily differentiated into hepatocytes, and their transplantation into animals has improved liver function in the absence of teratoma formation: their use in bioartificial liver support is an obvious application. In animal models of liver disease, adopting strategies to provide a selective advantage for transplanted foetal or adult hepatocytes have proved highly effective in repopulating recipient livers, but the poor success of today's hepatocyte transplants can be attributed to the lack of a clinically applicable procedure to force a similar repopulation of the human liver. The activation of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells is clearly vital for survival in many cases of acute liver failure, but surprisingly little progress has been made with these cells in terms of transplantation. Finally there is the controversial subject of autologous bone marrow, and while the contribution of these indigenous cells to liver turnover seems at best, trivial, results from a small number of phase 1 studies of transplantation of bone marrow to cirrhotic patients have been moderately encouraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm R Alison
- Centre for Diabetes and Metabolic Medicine, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, ICMS, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK.
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Piscaglia AC, Shupe TD, Oh SH, Gasbarrini A, Petersen BE. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor promotes liver repair and induces oval cell migration and proliferation in rats. Gastroenterology 2007; 133:619-31. [PMID: 17681181 PMCID: PMC3130597 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2006] [Accepted: 05/03/2007] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatic regeneration is a heterogeneous phenomenon involving several cell populations. Oval cells are considered liver stem cells, a portion of which derive from bone marrow (BM). Recent studies have shown that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) may be effective in facilitating liver repair. However, it remains unclear if G-CSF acts by mobilizing BM cells, or if it acts locally within the liver microenvironment to facilitate the endogenous restoration program. In the present study, we assessed the involvement of G-CSF during oval cell activation. METHODS Dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV-deficient female rats received BM transplants from wild-type male donors. Four weeks later, rats were subjected to the 2-acetylaminofluorene/partial hepatectomy model of oval cell-mediated liver regeneration, followed by administration of either nonpegylated G-CSF or pegylated G-CSF. Control animals did not receive further treatments after surgery. The magnitude of oval cell reaction, the entity of BM contribution to liver repopulation, as well as the G-CSF/G-CSF-receptor expression levels were evaluated. In addition, in vitro proliferation and migration assays were performed on freshly isolated oval cells. RESULTS Oval cells were found to express G-CSF receptor and G-CSF was produced within the regenerating liver. G-CSF administration significantly increased both the magnitude of the oval cell reaction, and the contribution of BM to liver repair. Finally, G-CSF acted as a chemoattractant and a mitogen for oval cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS We have shown that G-CSF facilitates hepatic regeneration by increasing the migration of BM-derived progenitors to the liver, as well as enhancing the endogenous oval cell reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Piscaglia
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
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Okumoto K, Saito T, Onodera M, Sakamoto A, Tanaka M, Hattori E, Haga H, Ito JI, Sugahara K, Saito K, Togashi H, Kawata S. Serum levels of stem cell factor and thrombopoietin are markedly decreased in fulminant hepatic failure patients with a poor prognosis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007; 22:1265-70. [PMID: 17688667 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2006.04497.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Hematopoietic growth factors including stem cell factor (SCF), thrombopoietin (TPO) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) have a potential role in inducing bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells to move into the circulation, and the association of these factors with liver regeneration has received a lot of attention recently. The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of such factors in patients with acute liver injury. METHODS The subjects were 25 patients with acute hepatitis (AH) who had a favorable prognosis and 26 patients with fulminant hepatitis (FH), of whom 11 were alive and 15 had died. Sixty-six healthy subjects matched for age and sex served as controls. Serum samples were collected before treatment, and the levels of SCF, TPO and G-CSF were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays. RESULTS The levels of SCF and TPO were significantly lower in FH patients than in AH patients and the controls, and were also significantly lower in the FH patients who died, compared to the surviving patients. The G-CSF levels did not differ among them. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that low serum levels of SCF and TPO may be linked to poor prognosis in patients with severe liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Okumoto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata City, Yamagata, Japan
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Schmelzer E, Zhang L, Bruce A, Wauthier E, Ludlow J, Yao HL, Moss N, Melhem A, McClelland R, Turner W, Kulik M, Sherwood S, Tallheden T, Cheng N, Furth ME, Reid LM. Human hepatic stem cells from fetal and postnatal donors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 204:1973-87. [PMID: 17664288 PMCID: PMC2118675 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20061603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 434] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human hepatic stem cells (hHpSCs), which are pluripotent precursors of hepatoblasts and thence of hepatocytic and biliary epithelia, are located in ductal plates in fetal livers and in Canals of Hering in adult livers. They can be isolated by immunoselection for epithelial cell adhesion molecule–positive (EpCAM+) cells, and they constitute ∼0.5–2.5% of liver parenchyma of all donor ages. The self-renewal capacity of hHpSCs is indicated by phenotypic stability after expansion for >150 population doublings in a serum-free, defined medium and with a doubling time of ∼36 h. Survival and proliferation of hHpSCs require paracrine signaling by hepatic stellate cells and/or angioblasts that coisolate with them. The hHpSCs are ∼9 μm in diameter, express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, CD133/1, telomerase, CD44H, claudin 3, and albumin (weakly). They are negative for α-fetoprotein (AFP), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1, and for markers of adult liver cells (cytochrome P450s), hemopoietic cells (CD45), and mesenchymal cells (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and desmin). If transferred to STO feeders, hHpSCs give rise to hepatoblasts, which are recognizable by cordlike colony morphology and up-regulation of AFP, P4503A7, and ICAM1. Transplantation of freshly isolated EpCAM+ cells or of hHpSCs expanded in culture into NOD/SCID mice results in mature liver tissue expressing human-specific proteins. The hHpSCs are candidates for liver cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Schmelzer
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Chiu CC, Huang GT, Chou SH, Chien CT, Chiou LL, Chang MH, Lee HS, Chen DS. Characterization of cytokeratin 19-positive hepatocyte foci in the regenerating rat liver after 2-AAF/CCl4 injury. Histochem Cell Biol 2007; 128:217-26. [PMID: 17661067 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-007-0309-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2007] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Partial hepatectomy or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injury, following treatment of rats with 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) to inhibit proliferation of hepatocytes, induces proliferation of oval cells and possibly their differentiation into nodular foci of hepatocytes when higher doses of 2-AAF are used. Unfortunately, immunohistochemistry in previous studies failed to show oval cell markers in these foci, and thereby to demonstrate the precursor-product relationship between oval cells and hepatocytes. Immunohistochemistry on livers of rats treated with high dose 2-AAF/CCl4 was used. We found 7.6% of the hepatocyte foci were positive for an oval cell marker cytokeratin 19 (CK-19). These foci were positive for alpha-fetoprotein, less positive for carbamoylphosphate synthetase 1, and more positive for laminin in the basement membrane lining. Rarely present transitional foci had weaker expression of CK-19 and discontinuous laminin. Focal hepatocyte differentiation of oval cells was characterized by cell hypertrophy, membranous CK-19, and positive hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF-4). HNF-4+ small oval cells surrounding CK-19+ foci were frequently seen, suggesting that a paracrine mechanism(s) may be responsible for the enlargement of CK-19+ foci. In conclusions, oval cells appear to differentiate to CK-19+ foci and then to CK-19- foci in the high dose 2-AAF/CCl4 model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Chang Chiu
- The Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Engineering, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510 Chung Cheng Rd, Hsinchuang, Taipei County, 24205, and Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan
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38
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Abstract
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can self-renew and generate specialized (functional) cell types. The remarkable ability of stem cells to differentiate towards functional cells makes them suitable modalities in cellular therapy (which means treating diseases with the body's own cells). Potential targets for cellular therapy include diabetes and liver failure. However, in order for stem cells to be clinically useful, we must learn to identify them and to regulate their differentiation. We will use the intestine as a classical example of a stem cell compartment, and then examine the evidence for the existence of adult stem cells in two endodermally derived organs: pancreas and liver. We will review the characteristics of the putative stem cells in these tissues and the transcription factors controlling their differentiation towards functional cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë D. Burke
- *Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Shifaan Thowfeequ
- *Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Macarena Peran
- †Departamento de Neurociencias y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, Almería 04120, Spain
| | - David Tosh
- *Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
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39
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Quinlan JM, Colleypriest BJ, Farrant M, Tosh D. Epithelial metaplasia and the development of cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2007; 1776:10-21. [PMID: 17618050 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2007.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2007] [Revised: 05/17/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Metaplasia means the conversion, in postnatal life, of one cell type to another. Understanding the steps leading to metaplasia is important for two reasons. Firstly, it tells us something about the normal developmental biology of the tissues that interconvert. Secondly, metaplasia predisposes to certain forms of neoplasia. So understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying metaplasia will provide insights into clinical diagnosis and potential therapies. One of the best-described examples of metaplasia is Barrett's metaplasia or the appearance of intestinal-like columnar tissue in the oesophagus. Barrett's metaplasia develops as a result of gastro-oesophageal reflux and is considered the precursor lesion for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. While we know quite a bit about the molecular events associated with the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, our understanding of the initial events leading to Barrett's metaplasia is lacking. In the present review we will focus on examples of metaplasia that lead to neoplasia and discuss some of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Quinlan
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK
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40
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Abstract
Numerous studies point to the fact that liver tumors are derived from single cells (monoclonal), but the important question is, which cell? Stem cell biology and cancer are inextricably linked. In continually renewing tissues such as the intestinal mucosa and epidermis, in which a steady flux of cells occurs from the stem cell zone to the terminally differentiated cells that are imminently to be lost, it is widely accepted that cancer is a disease of stem cells, as these are the only cells that persist in the tissue for a sufficient length of time to acquire the requisite number of genetic changes for neoplastic development. In the liver the identity of the founder cells for the two major primary tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), is more problematic. The reason for this is that no such obvious unidirectional flux occurs in the liver, though it is held that the centrilobular hepatocytes may be more differentiated (polyploid) and closer to cell senescence than those cells closest to the portal areas. Moreover the existence of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), along with hepatocytes endowed with longevity and long-term repopulating potential suggests there may be more than one type of carcinogen target cell. Irrespective of which target cell is involved, cell proliferation at the time of carcinogen exposure is pivotal for "fixation" of the genotoxic injury into a heritable form. Taking this view, any proliferative cell in the liver can be susceptible to neoplastic transformation. Thus, hepatocytes are implicated in many instances of HCC, direct injury to the biliary epithelium implicates cholangiocytes in some cases of CC, whereas HPC/oval cell activation accompanies very many instances of liver damage irrespective of etiology, making such cells very likely carcinogen targets. Of course, we must qualify this assertion by stating that many carcinogens are both cytotoxic and cytostatic, and that HPC proliferation may be merely a bystander effect of this toxicity. An indepth discussion of causes of cancer in the liver are beyond the scope of this review, but infectious agents (e.g., hepatitis B and C viruses) play a major role, not just in transactivating or otherwise disrupting cellular proto-oncogenes (hepatitis B virus [HBV]), but in also causing chronic inflammation (hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HBV). Sustained epithelial proliferation in a milieu rich in inflammatory cells, growth factors, and DNA-damaging agents (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced to fight infection), will lead to permanent genetic changes in proliferating cells. The upregulation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in transformed hepatocytes, through the paracrine action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from neighboring endothelia and inflammatory cells, may be critical for tumor progression given the mitogenic and anti-apoptotic properties of proteins encoded by many of NF-kappaB's target genes.
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41
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Abstract
Numerous studies point to the fact that liver tumors are derived from single cells (monoclonal), but the important question is, which cell? Stem cell biology and cancer are inextricably linked. In continually renewing tissues such as the intestinal mucosa and epidermis, in which a steady flux of cells occurs from the stem cell zone to the terminally differentiated cells that are imminently to be lost, it is widely accepted that cancer is a disease of stem cells, as these are the only cells that persist in the tissue for a sufficient length of time to acquire the requisite number of genetic changes for neoplastic development. In the liver the identity of the founder cells for the two major primary tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), is more problematic. The reason for this is that no such obvious unidirectional flux occurs in the liver, though it is held that the centrilobular hepatocytes may be more differentiated (polyploid) and closer to cell senescence than those cells closest to the portal areas. Moreover the existence of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), along with hepatocytes endowed with longevity and long-term repopulating potential suggests there may be more than one type of carcinogen target cell. Irrespective of which target cell is involved, cell proliferation at the time of carcinogen exposure is pivotal for "fixation" of the genotoxic injury into a heritable form. Taking this view, any proliferative cell in the liver can be susceptible to neoplastic transformation. Thus, hepatocytes are implicated in many instances of HCC, direct injury to the biliary epithelium implicates cholangiocytes in some cases of CC, whereas HPC/oval cell activation accompanies very many instances of liver damage irrespective of etiology, making such cells very likely carcinogen targets. Of course, we must qualify this assertion by stating that many carcinogens are both cytotoxic and cytostatic, and that HPC proliferation may be merely a bystander effect of this toxicity. An indepth discussion of causes of cancer in the liver are beyond the scope of this review, but infectious agents (e.g., hepatitis B and C viruses) play a major role, not just in transactivating or otherwise disrupting cellular proto-oncogenes (hepatitis B virus [HBV]), but in also causing chronic inflammation (hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HBV). Sustained epithelial proliferation in a milieu rich in inflammatory cells, growth factors, and DNA-damaging agents (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced to fight infection), will lead to permanent genetic changes in proliferating cells. The upregulation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in transformed hepatocytes, through the paracrine action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from neighboring endothelia and inflammatory cells, may be critical for tumor progression given the mitogenic and anti-apoptotic properties of proteins encoded by many of NF-kappaB's target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Alison
- Cancer Research UK and Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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42
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Alison MR. Liver stem cells: implications for hepatocarcinogenesis. STEM CELL REVIEWS 2007. [PMID: 17142862 DOI: 10.1385/scr: 1: 3: 253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies point to the fact that liver tumors are derived from single cells (monoclonal), but the important question is, which cell? Stem cell biology and cancer are inextricably linked. In continually renewing tissues such as the intestinal mucosa and epidermis, in which a steady flux of cells occurs from the stem cell zone to the terminally differentiated cells that are imminently to be lost, it is widely accepted that cancer is a disease of stem cells, as these are the only cells that persist in the tissue for a sufficient length of time to acquire the requisite number of genetic changes for neoplastic development. In the liver the identity of the founder cells for the two major primary tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), is more problematic. The reason for this is that no such obvious unidirectional flux occurs in the liver, though it is held that the centrilobular hepatocytes may be more differentiated (polyploid) and closer to cell senescence than those cells closest to the portal areas. Moreover the existence of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), along with hepatocytes endowed with longevity and long-term repopulating potential suggests there may be more than one type of carcinogen target cell. Irrespective of which target cell is involved, cell proliferation at the time of carcinogen exposure is pivotal for "fixation" of the genotoxic injury into a heritable form. Taking this view, any proliferative cell in the liver can be susceptible to neoplastic transformation. Thus, hepatocytes are implicated in many instances of HCC, direct injury to the biliary epithelium implicates cholangiocytes in some cases of CC, whereas HPC/oval cell activation accompanies very many instances of liver damage irrespective of etiology, making such cells very likely carcinogen targets. Of course, we must qualify this assertion by stating that many carcinogens are both cytotoxic and cytostatic, and that HPC proliferation may be merely a bystander effect of this toxicity. An indepth discussion of causes of cancer in the liver are beyond the scope of this review, but infectious agents (e.g., hepatitis B and C viruses) play a major role, not just in transactivating or otherwise disrupting cellular proto-oncogenes (hepatitis B virus [HBV]), but in also causing chronic inflammation (hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HBV). Sustained epithelial proliferation in a milieu rich in inflammatory cells, growth factors, and DNA-damaging agents (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced to fight infection), will lead to permanent genetic changes in proliferating cells. The upregulation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in transformed hepatocytes, through the paracrine action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from neighboring endothelia and inflammatory cells, may be critical for tumor progression given the mitogenic and anti-apoptotic properties of proteins encoded by many of NF-kappaB's target genes.
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43
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Abstract
In the liver, several cell types have the longevity that is needed to be the cell of origin of a cancer: hepatocytes, cholangiocytes and progenitor cells. The latter are located in the most peripheral branches of the biliary tree, the ductules and canals of Hering. The most important risk factors for liver cancer are chronic viral hepatitis B and C and alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In these and other chronic liver diseases, progenitor cell activation is seen, rendering them a target cell population for carcinogenesis. The degree of activation is positively correlated with the inflammatory activity and the stage of the disease. Recently, it has been shown that in the cirrhotic stage of most chronic liver diseases, the hepatocytes become senescent owing to telomere shortening. This makes it even more plausible that at least part of the hepatocellular carcinomas originate from a progenitor cell. Hepatocellular carcinomas expressing progenitor cell/ductular markers like cytokeratin 19 have a more aggressive clinical course. It is therefore important to recognize this entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Roskams
- Head Liver Research Unit, Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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44
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Abstract
The field of stem cell biology has exploded with the study of a wide range of cellular populations involving endodermal, mesenchymal, and ectodermal organs. One area of extensive study has included the identification of hepatic stem and progenitor cell subpopulations. Liver stem cells provide insights into the potential pathways involving liver regeneration that are independent of mature hepatocytes. Hepatic progenitor cells are either bipotent or multipotent and capable of multiple rounds of replication. They have been identified in fetal as well as adult liver. Various injury models have been used to expand this cellular compartment. The nomenclature, origin, and function of the hepatic progenitor cell populations are areas of ongoing debate. In this review, we will discuss the different definitions and functions of hepatic progenitor cells as well as the current research efforts examining their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie H Walkup
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, 27599-7211, USA
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46
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Wang AG, Yoon SY, Oh JH, Jeon YJ, Kim M, Kim JM, Byun SS, Yang JO, Kim JH, Kim DG, Yeom YI, Yoo HS, Kim YS, Kim NS. Identification of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma related genes by comparison with normal liver tissues using expressed sequence tags. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 345:1022-32. [PMID: 16712791 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.04.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2006] [Accepted: 04/27/2006] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), a malignant tumor derived from the bile duct epithelium, is one of the leading causes of death from cancer, worldwide. However, the mechanisms related to it remain largely unknown. In this study, an analysis of the gene expression profiles for ICC was done using the frequency of the ESTs obtained from nine cDNA libraries that constructed from 4 ICC cell lines and 4 normal liver tissues. One hundred and thirty-seven genes were identified as being either up- or down-regulated in human ICC cells. Thirty genes were randomly selected to confirm their differential expression in 4 human ICC cell lines and 5 ICC tissues compared to normal liver tissues by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Among these genes, ANXA1, ANXA2, AMBP, and SERPINC1 were further verified by immunohistochemical analyses. In conclusion, these identified genes represent potential biomarkers for ICC and represent potential targets for elucidating the molecular mechanisms that are associated with ICC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Guo Wang
- Laboratory of Human Genomics, Genome Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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47
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Shan YF, Zhou WP, Fu XY, Yan HX, Yang W, Liu SQ, Cao HF, Kang B, Wu MC, Wang HY. The role of p28GANK in rat oval cells activation and proliferation. Liver Int 2006; 26:240-7. [PMID: 16448463 DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2005.01203.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human gankyrin gene product (p28GANK) is a novel oncogenic protein ubiquitously overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and also plays a role in cell cycle progression in normal hepatocytes and liver regeneration. However, little is known about the physiological role of p28GANK in the liver oval cell activation and proliferation. We investigated the possible involvement of p28GANK in oval cell-mediated liver regeneration and cell cycle progression. METHODS We examined the different p28GANK expression in 2-acetylaminofuorene/partial heptectomy (2-AAF/PH) rats, as a model of oval cell activation, and PH rats by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Oval cells isolated from 2-AAF/PH rat model were cultured in our study. p28GANK expression was examined in the oval cells after mitogenic stimulation. RESULTS In 2-AAF/PH rats, p28GANK was expressed in the activated oval cells and located in the nucleus. p28GANK protein expression was increased in 2-AFF/PH rats after hepatectomy lasting for 96 h when retinoblastoma maintained hyperphosphorylation status at Ser-795. The isolated oval cells express AFP, OV6, CK19, CD34, CD45, c-kit and albumin. After epidermal growth factor stimulation, p28GANK protein was up-regulated in oval cells from 24 to 72 h, which coincided with increased expression of CyclinD1, CDK4 and decreased of Rb protein. CONCLUSIONS p28GANK expression was increased in oval cell-mediated liver regeneration and oval cells after mitogenic stimulation. Thus, p28GANK may play a role in oval cell-mediated liver regeneration and liver oval cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Feng Shan
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, Shanghai, China
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48
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Arai M, Yokosuka O, Kanda T, Fukai K, Imazeki F, Muramatsu M, Seki N, Miyazaki M, Ochiai T, Hirasawa H, Saisho H. Serum osteopontin levels in patients with acute liver dysfunction. Scand J Gastroenterol 2006; 41:102-10. [PMID: 16373283 DOI: 10.1080/00365520510024061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a clinical syndrome of sudden and severe liver dysfunction accompanied by encephalopathy in a previously healthy person. In FHF, hepatocytes are severely damaged and ordinary liver regeneration is impaired. We demonstrated that the expression of osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional cytokine, was up-regulated in mouse oval cell (a stem-cell progenitor) induction models. MATERIAL AND METHODS Based on this finding, serum OPN levels were examined in 43 patients with FHF and in 45 patients with acute self-limited hepatitis (AH). To determine the cellular source of OPN, the expression of OPN was studied in a liver specimen derived from an FHF patient. RESULTS The mean OPN level of patients with FHF was 2.80+/-0.48 ng/ml (log(10), +/-SD), which was significantly higher than that of the patients with AH (2.42+/-0.39 ng/ml) (p=0.003, unpaired t-test). Patients with elevated serum OPN levels had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients whose serum OPN levels were not elevated. In the FHF patient's liver, OPN protein was expressed not only in inflammatory cells but also in regenerating hepatocytes and bile ductular structures. CONCLUSIONS Our current study indicates that serum OPN levels increased in patients with FHF and that OPN might play an important role in liver regeneration due to activation of hepatic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Arai
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine Chiba University, Japan
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49
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Yuan ZR, Kobayashi N, Kohsaka T. Human Jagged 1 mutants cause liver defect in Alagille syndrome by overexpression of hepatocyte growth factor. J Mol Biol 2005; 356:559-68. [PMID: 16403414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.11.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2005] [Revised: 11/29/2005] [Accepted: 11/30/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Alagille syndrome (AGS, MIM 118450) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease. Paucity of interlobular bile ducts is one of the major abnormalities. To explore the molecular mechanism by which mutation in the human Jagged 1 gene (JAG1, MIM 601920) causes liver defects, we investigated the gene regulation of JAG1 to hepatocyte growth factor gene (HGF). By transfecting wild-type and mutant JAG1 into COS-7 cells in vitro, we found that HGF is a target gene of JAG1 downstream. Wild-type JAG1 is inhibitory for HGF expression and mutant JAG1s relieve the inhibition. Several domain disruptions in mutant JAG1 protein reveal a reduced inhibition to HGF expression at different levels. JAG1 mutations actually result in HGF overexpression. Furthermore, JAG1 controls HGF expression by a dosage-dependent regulation and Notch2 signaling seems to mediate JAG1 function. Given that HGF plays a critical role in differentiation of hepatic stem cells, overexpression of HGF acts on off-balanced cell fate determination in AGS patients. Hepatic stem cells may differentiate towards more hepatocytes but less biliary cells, thus causing the paucity of interlobular bile ducts in liver development of AGS. Our novel findings demonstrated that dosage-dependent regulation by mutations of JAG1 is a fundamental mechanism for liver abnormality in AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-Rong Yuan
- National Children's Medical Research Center and National Children's Hospital, Tokyo 154, Japan.
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50
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Abstract
Recently, new pathomorphologic information about early-stage small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the multi-step process of human hepatocarcinogenesis has been obtained, along with advances in the development of diagnostic modalities. The most valuable information is that in the majority of cases HCC arises as a very well differentiated cancer and proliferates with a stepwise process of dedifferentiation. In addition, it has been suggested that many HCCs seem to arise from dysplastic nodules (DNs) on the basis of the following evidence: the presence of DNs containing HCC foci, frequent association of DNs in the vicinity of HCC, and clinical progression from DN to HCC. However, as many HCCs are still detected at an advanced stage, it is also important to understand not only the classical pathologic features of HCC but also unusual features such as scirrhous change, sarcomatous change, fibrolamellar variant, and intra-bile duct or intra-atrial tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masamichi Kojiro
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kurume University, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume-shi 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan.
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