Human Liver-Derived Stem Cells

Alastair J. Strain; Heather A. Crosby; Sarbjit Nijjar; Deirdre A. Kelly; Stefan G. Hubscher

doi:10.1055/s-2004-815563

Seminars in Liver Disease, Table of Contents

Semin Liver Dis 2003; 23(4): 373-384
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-815563

Human Liver-Derived Stem Cells

Alastair J. Strain^1,2 , Heather A. Crosby² , Sarbjit Nijjar² , Deirdre A. Kelly² , Stefan G. Hubscher²

¹Professor of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
²Schools of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The search for human oval cells or bi-potential stem cells in the human liver is the subject of intensive investigation. Fetal hepatocytes (hepatoblasts) have some proliferative and bipotential capacity, but access to sufficient numbers of cells remains limiting. Candidate stem cells in the adult normal and diseased human liver have been identified using markers such as OV6, CD34, c-kit and NCAM. Lack of stem cell marker specificity however, remains a problem and further, more specific markers are required. The molecular signaling molecules and transcription factors that control proliferation and cell differentiation pathways into hepatocyte or biliary phenotype are beginning to emerge. However, whether any of the current liver stem cell approaches will be converted into effective clinical cell transplantation or gene therapy treatments has yet to be proven.

KEYWORDS

Oval cell - hepatic and hematpoietic stem cells - liver differentiation

Full Text

References

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