Articles tagged with Hepatocytes
Scientists at CU-Boulder have discovered the cellular targets of the Hepatitis B virus, including proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for liver disease in millions of people infected with the virus, many of whom lack access to effective treatment.
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that saturated fatty acids and specific metabolic pathways contribute to diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice. Additionally, a study published by Helen Hobbs' group identified the mutation PNPLA3 as a contributing factor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed that liver cells, thymus tissue and insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells can thrive in lymph nodes despite being displaced from their natural sites. This could lead to cell-based alternatives to whole organ transplantation.
A UCSF study reveals that a rare type of liver cancer may develop when one type of liver cell morphs into a totally different type, triggering tumors in mice. The discovery suggests that drugs targeting specific genes may provide a way to treat the deadly cancer.
Researchers in Japan have successfully generated a new liver system using hepatocyte cell transplantation. The study demonstrated the feasibility of propagating mouse hepatocytes by creating a vascularized platform and uniform hepatocyte sheets, leading to the functionality of the engineered liver system.
Researchers found that mature hepatocytes offered better repopulation efficiency than stem/progenitor cells after transplantation into liver-injured rats. The mature hepatocytes continued to survive and proliferate for up to one year, while the stem/progenitor cells died within two months.
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that activated myofibroblasts can revert to an inactive phenotype during liver healing, suggesting a potential treatment approach for reversing fibrosis. This discovery has implications for treating not only liver but also lung and kidney fibrosis.
Researchers identified stem cells in gallbladder tissue with the ability to repopulate injured livers and improve synthetic functions. These cells hold promise for treating various liver and metabolic diseases, including diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have discovered a way to increase hepatocyte cells, which detoxify the liver, by encouraging their production instead of bile duct cells. This breakthrough could help develop drugs to encourage liver self-repair and ease pressure on waiting lists for liver transplants.
Researchers have successfully differentiated human dental pulp stem cells into liver cells using hydrogen sulphide, producing high numbers of pure cells. This breakthrough offers promising results for future liver-cell therapy and transplantation without the risk of teratomas or cancers.
Scientists from MIT and partners have developed a way to produce liver-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be infected with hepatitis C. This allows for the study of why people respond differently to the infection, potentially leading to personalized medicine.
Researchers identify a new way to boost the aged immune response to flu viruses by inhibiting PGD2. They also discover that targeting BRAF in thyroid cancers could restore the efficacy of RAI therapy. Additionally, exploring EGFR as a therapeutic target for Cushing disease may provide new treatment options.
Scientists at EMBL have discovered how a protein called RIG-I sounds the alarm when it detects viral RNA, triggering an immune response. The study sheds light on how cells rapidly respond to various viruses, including influenza and hepatitis.
Researchers successfully used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to treat a mouse model of a rare genetic liver disease. The study demonstrates the potential for iPS cells to be used in human gene therapy to counter pathological effects and promote liver regeneration.
Scientists at Centenary Institute discovered that liver cells can engulf and destroy T-cells, reducing organ rejection in transplants and potentially fighting hepatitis and other chronic liver diseases. The discovery opens up new approaches to transplant rejection and treatment of liver diseases, which affect millions worldwide.
Researchers at Brown University found that carbon nanotubes enter cells tip-first and at a 90-degree angle, often causing repeated inflammation. The team's study suggests that understanding how nanomaterials interact with cells is crucial for designing products that help cells rather than harm them.
The study reveals that methylation changes in humans and chimps have co-evolved over 6 million years, driving changes in DNA sequences and characteristics. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of how methylation affects gene expression.
A NIST research team has created a potential solution to capturing cells using electric fields while keeping them alive. Their innovative technique, involving polyelectrolyte and fibronectin layers, reduces cell exposure time and improves long-term function, enabling up to week-long survival rates.
Scientists discovered an epigenetic marker system to predict the fate of progenitor cells, which can be used to guide stem-cell differentiation. This finding may lead to new approaches in regenerative medicine therapies, such as generating liver and pancreas cells for transplantation.
A human gene implicated in leukemia also acts to prevent cancer of the liver by producing an enzyme called Shp2, which protects hepatocytes from toxic damage. Conversely, this same enzyme is a known factor in the development of several types of leukemia.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully coaxed adult human cells into an embryonic state and used them to regenerate liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. The induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) showed promise as a potential alternative to liver transplants for patients with serious liver diseases, offering...
Researchers have found promising results in using liver-cell transplants to treat a genetic disorder affecting the liver and lungs. The treatment reversed fibrosis in diseased liver cells, providing a potential alternative to current expensive therapies.
Researchers have identified a low-molecular weight TrkB antagonist with potent behavioral effects that suggest it will have antidepressant and anti-anxiety activity in humans. The compound, ANA-12, was discovered through a screen of stable small molecules that could specifically inhibit TrkB action. Additionally, a study on type 1 diab...
Researchers successfully reprogrammed diseased human hepatocytes into induced pluripotent stem cells, offering a potentially unlimited source for liver disease treatment. This breakthrough could enable the generation of genetically corrected liver cells via auto-transplantation, avoiding liver transplants and immunosuppression.
In vivo RNAi screening reveals new key players controlling hepatocyte proliferation and regenerative capacity. The study demonstrates increased repopulation efficiency and regenerative capacity in chronically damaged mouse livers after stable knockdown of candidate genes.
A new study by UCLA researchers has found that a key regulator of cholesterol and fat metabolism in the liver also plays a crucial role in the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. LXRs, master regulators of cholesterol and inflammatory gene expression, control the fibrosis-making cells of the liver.
Researchers successfully create human liver tissue using tissue engineering, showing promise for liver cell transplantation. The new model uses resorbable scaffolds made from surgical sutures and can be used to overcome the organ shortage in patients with acute liver failure.
Researchers found a statistically significant decrease in peritoneal cavity fluid and clinical and biochemical improvement in many patients. The study suggests that cell transplantation might be clinically significant beyond improving laboratory parameters, potentially through paracrine effects.
Scientists found that hepatocyte-like cells derived from iPS cells exhibit 80% similar gene expression to those from embryonic stem cells, but less than that of real human liver cells. The study suggests that further adaptation is needed for iPSC-derived hepatocytes to be used in treating liver diseases.
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine present a new explanation for how fibrotic cells form in the human liver, upending long-held assumptions about EMT and FSP1. The study reveals endogenous stellate cells are the primary culprit in liver fibrosis, and FSP1 is an unreliable marker.
Scientists have successfully engineered miniature human livers that function like real ones in a laboratory setting. The next step is to test their function after transplantation in animal models, with the ultimate goal of providing a solution to the liver transplant shortage.
Researchers at UCSF are advancing human embryonic stem cell-based strategies to treat neurological diseases and liver failure. They will investigate novel strategies using embryonic neurons to inhibit hyperactivity in the nervous system and develop therapeutically effective liver cells from human embryonic stem cells.
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered a new pathway involving multiple cell types that contributes to the development of Type 1 Gaucher disease. This knowledge could lead to more effective and less expensive treatments, including a small molecule substrate inhibitor in pill form.
Two Japanese research teams have reported breakthrough studies in liver cell transplantation, with one team finding that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) can differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells and another team successfully transplanting porcine hepatocytes into mice with acute liver failure, highlighting progress in overcomin...
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered that multipolar mitosis, a form of cell division typically associated with cancer, can produce diverse and viable cells capable of protecting the liver from injury. This process may reveal why some individuals are more susceptible to liver diseases.
Research at the University of Liverpool has led to a potential breakthrough in detecting liver damage, using paracetamol as a basis for study. The team discovered specific proteins in the blood indicate early liver cell damage and can assess the extent of damage more accurately.
Scientists have created diseased liver cells from human skin samples to model a range of inherited disorders. The breakthrough could lead to personalized treatments and cell-based therapy for those suffering from liver diseases.
Researchers have successfully generated iPS cell-derived hepatocytes, which can recapitulate key features of inherited liver diseases and regenerate in mice. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for liver disorders.
Two independent research groups demonstrate that induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to model diseases of the liver and generate functional hepatocytes with proliferative capabilities. These findings expand our understanding of iPS cell technology's potential for cell replacement therapy and modeling human disease.
The merlin protein controls adult liver stem cell activity and prevents the overproliferation of these cells. This can lead to the development of liver cancer in mice.
Scientists at EMBL have identified IRPs as key proteins ensuring iron balance in cells. In a study, they found that IRPs are required for mitochondrial function and that their dysfunction leads to iron deficiency and cellular damage.
Researchers successfully isolated bone marrow-derived MSCs that could differentiate into hepatocytes induced by VPA and well-defined cytokines. The study found that VPA-mediated facilitation of hepatic differentiation was regulated by FGF and HGF receptors, among other factors.
Scientists at TWINCORE have developed a mouse-adapted version of the hepatitis C virus, allowing researchers to study its interaction with the immune system. This breakthrough enables the development of new vaccines and treatments for this chronic infection.
Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a technique to grow transplantable replacement livers using the structural tissue of rat livers. The approach involves decellularizing the liver and reseeding it with liver cells, resulting in normal liver function for up to 10 days in culture.
Researchers found that taurine inhibits the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and promotes apoptosis in liver cells. This study provides new targets for managing hepatic fibrosis and drug development.
A study found that losartan-M6PHSA, a targeted delivery system of losartan, reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis in rats. In contrast, oral losartan alone had no significant effect on disease activity. The researchers believe early detection of fibrosis offers potential for therapies to prevent further scarring.
Salk Institute researchers develop a 'humanized' mouse model susceptible to human liver infections and responding to human drug treatments. The model allows for testing of novel therapies for liver diseases like Hepatitis B and C, as well as malaria.
Researchers found that transplanted hepatocyte cells and growth factor genes rapidly infiltrate damaged livers, promoting regeneration. Prolonged HSC activation is beneficial for proliferation of transplanted cells.
Researchers at MIT and Rockefeller University have successfully grown hepatitis C virus in lab-grown liver cells, allowing for testing of new treatments. The innovation enables prolonged cell survival and reproduction, enabling scientists to study the virus's responses to different drugs.
Researchers developed a protocol to direct the hepatic specification of ES cells using valproic acid and cytokines, resulting in functional hepatocytes. This study may aid hepatocyte transplantation and provide an in vitro model for understanding liver development.
A study found that emodin reduces hepatic hydroxyproline content, serum AST and ALT activities, and inhibits HSC activation by down-regulating TGF-b1 and Smad4. Emodin may be an attractive therapeutic agent for treating fibrotic liver diseases.
Researchers have developed a novel method to generate functional hepatocytes for drug testing, offering an unlimited and reliable source of liver cells. The new technique uses induced pluripotent stem cell technology to create hepatocytes from adult skin cells, overcoming the limitations of primary human hepatocytes.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a new high-throughput cellular array technology that can identify the biological components leading to or alleviating liver disease. By controlling the environment surrounding star-shaped liver cells, they found critical proteins regulating HSC activation.
Researchers at Medical College of Wisconsin successfully produced patient-specific liver cells from skin cells, enabling potential treatment of metabolic liver diseases. The study builds on previous work by James Thomson and colleagues, showing that skin cells can be reprogrammed into embryonic stem cells.
Dr. Francesca M. Spagnoli is investigating the possibility of repurposing hepatic cells to produce insulin in diabetic patients. Her research aims to identify molecular signals that determine why one progenitor cell develops into a hepatic cell and another into a beta cell.
Researchers aim to develop 'enhanced' cells that can fight diseases from within the body. They will extract specific cells from patients, activate or modify them in the laboratory and transfer them back into patients for treatment.
A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a new way to culture liver cells for drug toxicity screening, using a high-oxygen environment and serum-free medium. This method significantly improves the function of cultured liver cells, enabling them to predict the clearance rates of drugs with high accuracy.
Researchers found that mice lacking protein S suffered massive blood clots and defective blood vessels, highlighting the protein's dual role in coagulation and inflammation. Protein S also binds to receptors that regulate immune responses, suggesting new targets for gene therapy.
Researchers have discovered a potential therapeutic agent for treating hepatic fibrosis, a scarring condition that impairs liver function and can lead to organ failure. The CCN2 hammerhead ribozyme shows promise in reducing collagen production and cell proliferation, offering new hope for millions affected by liver fibrosis.
A team of researchers has identified XIAP as the critical factor determining which cell death pathway is followed to culminate in a cell's death. This finding has implications for cancer patients with underlying liver conditions who are being treated with IAP inhibitors.