Zhao Yang's research group realizes chemical induction of fibroblasts into hepatocytes with metabolic and regenerative functions

On July 26, 2022, Zhao Yang's research group from Peking University published online the research results entitled "Direct chemical induction of hepatocyte-like cells with capacity for liver repopulation" in the international hepatology journal HEPATOLOGY

How to obtain a large number of functional hepatocytes is an important and urgent problem in the field of regenerative medicine

In this study, the researchers found that some transcription factors related to the development and function of hepatocytes, such as Nr2f1, Hnf1b, Hhex and Onecut1, were activated and expressed in the earliest stage of the reported chemically induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming system.

Figure 1.

Subsequently, studies on the molecular pathways of chemical reprogramming found that the progressive activation of liver-enriched transcription factors such as Foxa1/2/3, Cebpa, Nr1i2, Hnf4a, and Nr1h4 mediated the induction of CiHeps

In conclusion, this study achieved the direct reprogramming of fibroblasts and obtained functionally mature liver parenchyma-like cells by using chemical small molecules to activate the step-by-step initiation of liver-enriching factors

Figure 2.

In addition, the earliest stages of the chemically induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming system are activated in addition to the transcription factors associated with the liver lineage, but also include a series of important transcription factors in other organs in the early stage of biological development

Bai Yunfei, a doctoral student at the School of Future Technology, Peking University, is the first author of the paper, and Dr.

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