Culture of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids

Abstract

Liver is one of the most important organs in the human body. Liver diseases are also a major threat to human health and longevity. Hepatic decompensation treatment is quite difficult due to multiple reasons. Extracorporeal liver support devices are unable to solve this problem, and there is a severe shortage of orthotopic liver transplant donors. Study of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids can determine not only hepatocyte fate, but also liver development, regeneration mechanisms, and pathophysiology. Furthermore, it can be used for drug screening in order to provide a stable source of functional hepatocytes for future transplantation therapy. Culture of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids has a self-organizing process similar to liver development, i.e., starting with changes in several key factors, and eventually forming functionally complex cells/organs. This paper introduces the main methods and progress of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids, with hope to provide clues for future research.