• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.183-194
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• 2008

A variety of stem cells has been emerging as therapeutic cells that can replace organ transplantation in human liver diseases. The present study focused on whether human eyelid adipose-derived stem cells (HAD) might differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like cells in vitro. HAD were isolated from human eyelid adipose tissue. Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and FGF-4 on the hepatic differentiation of HAD have been examined in vitro. Immunocytochemical analysis and PAS staining showed that HAD cultured in both DMSO and FGF-4 exhibited the most intense staining than HAD of the other experimental groups. These HAD expressed numerous hepatocyte-related genes. Immunoblotting analyses showed that HAD cultured in the presence of DMSO and FGF-4 secreted higher amount of human albumin than HAD cultured in other conditions. Urea analysis also demonstrated that these HAD produced higher amount of urea than any other groups of HAD. In conclusion, combined treatment of DMSO and FGF-4 could effectively induce the functional differentiation of HAD into hepatocyte-like cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.639-645
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• 2018

Liver transplantation is recommended for patients with liver failure, but liver donors are limited. This necessitates the development of artificial livers, and hepatocytes are necessary to develop such artificial livers. Although induced hepatocyte-like cells are used in artificial livers, the characteristics of mouse induced hepatocyte-like cells (miHeps) reprogrammed with embryonic fibroblasts have not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms underlying the survival, function, and death of miHeps. miHeps showed decreased cell viability, increased cytotoxicity, decreased hepatic function, and albumin and urea secretion at passage 14. Addition of necrostatin-1 (NEC-1) to miHeps inhibited necrosome formation and reactive oxygen species generation and increased cell survival. However, NEC-1 did not affect the hepatic function of miHeps. These results provide a basis for development of artificial livers using hepatocytes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.76-77
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• 2006

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.172.1-172.1
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• 2006

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.247-265
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• 2008

Objectives: Many types of liver diseases can damage regenerative potential of mature hepatocytes, hepatic progenitor cells or oval cells. In such cases, a stem cell-based therapy can be an alternative therapeutic option. We examined whether human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HAM) and human umbilical cord-derived stem cells (HUC) could differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells as therapeutic cells for the liver diseases. Methods: HAM and HUC were isolated from the amnion and umbilical cord of the volunteers after a caesarean section with informed consent. In order to differentiate these cells into hepatocyte-like cells, cells were cultivated in hepatogenic medium using culture plates coated with fibronectin. Effects of hepatocyte growth factor, L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, insulin premixture fibroblast growth gactor 4, dimethylsulfoxide, oncostatin M and/or dexamethasone were examined on the hepatic differentiation. After differentiation, the cells were analyzed by RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, albumin ELISA, urea assay and periodic acid-schiffs staining. Results: Initial fibroblast-like appearance of HAM and HUC changed to a round shape during culture in the hepatogenic medium. However, in all hepatogenic conditions examined, HUC secreted more amounts of albumin or urea into medium than HAM. Expression of some of hepatocyte-specific genes increased and expression of new genes were observed in HUC following cultivation in hepatogenic medium. Results of immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting analyses demonstrated that HUC secreted albumin into the culture medium. PAS staining further demonstrated that HUC could store glycogen inside of the cells. Conclusions: Both HUC and HAM could differentiate into albumin-secreting, hepatocyte-like cells. Under the same hepatogenic conditions examined, HUC more efficiently differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells compared with the HAM. The results suggest that HUC and HAM could be used as sources of stem cells for the cell-based therapeutics such as in liver diseases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.633-638
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• 2022

Liver regeneration is a well-known systemic homeostatic phenomenon. The N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification pathway has been associated with liver regeneration and hepatocellular carcinoma. m⁶A methyltransferases, such as methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) and methyltransferase 14 (METTL14), are involved in the hepatocyte-specific-regenerative pathway. To illustrate the role of METTL14, secreted from non-parenchymal liver cells, in the initiation phase of liver regeneration, we performed 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) in Mettl14 heterozygous (HET) and wild-type (WT) mice. Next, we analyzed the ratio of liver weight to body weight and the expression of mitogenic stimulators derived from non-parenchymal liver cells. Furthermore, we evaluated the expression of cell cycle-related genes and the hepatocyte proliferation rate via MKI67-immunostaining. During regeneration after PH, the weight ratio was lower in Mettl14 HET mice compared to WT mice. The expressions of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, mitogens derived from non-parenchymal liver cells that stimulate the cell cycle, as well as the expressions of cyclin B1 and D1, which regulate the cell cycle, and the number of MKI67-positive cells, which indicate proliferative hepatocyte in the late G1-M phase, were significantly reduced in Mettl14 HET mice 72 h after PH. Our findings demonstrate that global Mettl14 mutation may interrupt the homeostasis of liver regeneration after an acute injury like PH by restraining certain mitogens, such as HGF and TNF-α, derived from sinusoidal endothelial cells, stellate cells, and Kupffer cells. These results provide new insights into the role of METTL14 in the clinical treatment strategies of liver disease.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1983-1988
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• 2012

Stem cell transplantation is emerging as a possible new treatment for liver cirrhosis, and recent animal studies have documented the benefits of stem cell therapy in a hepatic fibrosis model. However, the underlying mechanism of stem cell therapy is still unclear. Among the proposed mechanisms, the cell replacement mechanism is the oldest and most important, in which permanently damaged tissue can be replaced by normal tissue to restore function. In the present study, Cy5.5-labeled superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) was used to label human mesenchymal stem cells. The uptake of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles enabled the detection and monitoring of the transplanted stem cells; therefore, we confirmed the direct incorporation and differentiation of SPIO into the hepatocyte-like transplanted stem cells by detecting human tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), well-known enzymatic marker for hepatocyte-specific differentiation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.593-599
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• 2012

Background This study aimed to investigate the possibility of isolating mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human thigh adipose tissue and the ability of human thigh adipose stem cells (HTASCs) to differentiate into hepatocytes. Methods The adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were isolated from thigh adipose tissue. Growth factors, cytokines, and hormones were added to the collagen coated dishes to induce the undifferentiated HTASCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells. To confirm the experimental results, the expression of hepatocyte-specific markers on undifferentiated and differentiated HTASCs was analyzed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemical staining. Differentiation efficiency was evaluated using functional tests such as periodic acid schiff (PAS) staining and detection of the albumin secretion level using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The majority of the undifferentiated HTASCs were changed into a more polygonal shape showing tight interactions between the cells. The differentiated HTASCs up-regulated mRNA of hepatocyte markers. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that they were intensely stained with anti-albumin antibody compared with undifferentiated HTASCs. PAS staining showed that HTASCs submitted to the hepatocyte differentiation protocol were able to more specifically store glycogen than undifferentiated HTASCs, displaying a purple color in the cytoplasm of the differentiated HTASCs. ELISA analyses showed that differentiated HTASCs could secrete albumin, which is one of the hepatocyte markers. Conclusions MSCs were islolated from human thigh adipose tissue differentiate to heapatocytes. The source of ADSCs is not only abundant abdominal adipose tissue, but also thigh adipose tissue for cell therapy in liver regeneration and tissue regeneration.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2006

This study aimed to find out suitable culture conditions for the differentiation of human amniotic membrane-derived stem cells(HAM) into hepatocyte-like cells. Almost homogenous population of fibroblast-like cells was successfully isolated from the amniotic membrane. In comparison to the non-coated plates and in the absence of insulin/transferrin/selenium(ITS), HAM cultured on the fibronectin-coated plates and in the presence of ITS showed the more intense immunocytochemical staining against the albumin. Addition of both fibroblast growth factor(FGF)-1 and -2 to the differentiation medium gave stronger staining compared to the treatment with FGF-1 or -2 alone. Periodic acid Schiff's base staining of glycogen and morphological turnover of fibroblast-like appearance of HAM into round shape matched the results of immunocytochemical studies. When the efficiency of two-step culture method was examined on the differentiation of HAM into hepatocyte-like cells, all of the results of immunocytochemical staining, periodic acid Schiff's staining and morphological change exhibited effective hepatic differentiation of HAM compared to the continuous culture method. Immunoblot analyses of HAM- conditioned media against the albumin showed that the culture of HAM in the presence of both ITS and fibronectin always gave a stronger staining intensity than those in the absence of them, and that the addition of ether mixture of FGF-4 and either FGF-2 or transforming growth $factor(TGF)-{\alpha}$ to the culture medium significantly enhanced the albumin secretion by HAM. Based on these observations, it is suggested that HAM could differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells under a culture condition consisting of fibronectin and ITS, and addition of FGF-4 with either one of FGF-2 or $TGF-{\alpha}$ could enhance the hepatic differentiation of HAM.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.112.1-112.1
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• 2007