The regulatory mechanism for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into liver cells.

From the Chinese Academy of Sciences was informed that the Institute of Biomedicine and Health of the Institute of Biomedicine and Health of the Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yan Endqing and Shu Xiaodong team on the regulation of human embryonic stem cells to liver cell differentiation mechanism research, Beijing time today (May 3) afternoon published online in the world's top academic journal "Nature-Communication" magazine.
The results of this technology provide a mechanism of cell biology for erythrocyte differentiation, open a new door and window for stem cells in the application of regenerative medicine, and make a big step towards unifying the two mechanism systems of cell reprogramming and stem cell differentiation, which were thought to be different in the past, and the unified cell fate regulation will also lay the foundation of stem cell research theory system.
As early as 2010, the team found that the cell "reversal" process was driven by a transition from the interstitino cell state to the endocystular state, known as "MET", and the researchers found that there was also a "endocystic to intersupergenal cell" state transition process before the intersupergenational transition to the endocystal cell state, a process known as "EMT", and demonstrated that such multiple transitions were conducive to improving reprogramming efficiency.
" is more consistent with the traditional Chinese concept of yin and yang tai chi.
" and other further inferences, interstity cell state and end cell state between the multiple mutual conversion mechanism has a certain universality, may also play an important role in other types of cell fate conversion process.
this end, the team carried out a systematic analysis of the reverse process of somatic cell reprogramming, the directional differentiation process of erythemogenic stem cells, focusing on evaluating the role of EMT/MET process in liver differentiation.
mature liver cells are typical endosthortic cells, which can be obtained by human embryonic stem cells that belong to the endosthortic cells through in-body directional differentiation.
the study, the researchers found that the transition of fate between the two endocystic cells required an intermediate phase of interstate.
the EMT process occurs in the stage of embryonic stem cell differentiation into a stereotyped endosperm layer, and the subsequent process of further liver differentiation and maturation is accompanied by the MET process.
Subsequently, the researchers initially clarified the molecular mechanism that regulates the fate of these cells: Activin A induces human embryonic stem cells to secrete EMT induced signals, which activate EMT transcription factors, thus activating the liver differentiation process of embryonic stem cells.
EMT/MET regulatory reprogramming and the discovery of cell fate transformation in differentiation process provides a theoretical framework for obtaining specific functional cells, and it is expected that cells with specific functions can be obtained efficiently and simultaneously through the analysis and regulation of the process, while reducing the potential safety risks (e.g. tumorization) caused by insufficient differentiation, so as to meet the needs of cells in regenerative medicine research.
It is understood that how to obtain a large number of cells with specific functions such as neurons, liver cells and pancreatic beta cells is one of the important topics of current regenerative medicine research, because they are the basis of cell transplantation and the construction of human organs in the body.
The technology of combining soytic cell reprogramming, directional differentiation or transdifferentiation has now been able to obtain a variety of functional cells, but the induction efficiency of different methods is different, and the internal safety and effectiveness of the resulting product cells are not easy to assess.
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