Open AccessUnbalanced distribution of materials: the art of giving rise to hepatocytes from liver stem/progenitor cells
Author(s) -
Liu WeiHui,
Ren LiNa,
Chen Tao,
You Nan,
Liu LiYe,
Wang Tao,
Yan HongTao,
Luo Hao,
Tang LiJun
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/jcmm.12183
Subject(s) - progenitor cell , biology , stem cell , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology
Liver stem/progenitor cells ( LSPC s) are able to duplicate themselves and differentiate into each type of cells in the liver, including mature hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Understanding how to accurately control the hepatic differentiation of LSPC s is a challenge in many fields from preclinical to clinical treatments. This review summarizes the recent advances made to control the hepatic differentiation of LSPC s over the last few decades. The hepatic differentiation of LSPC s is a gradual process consisting of three main steps: initiation, progression and accomplishment. The unbalanced distribution of the affecting materials in each step results in the hepatic maturation of LSPC s. As the innovative and creative works for generating hepatocytes with full functions from LSPC s are gradually accumulated, LSPC therapies will soon be a new choice for treating liver diseases.