Meng FY, Liu L, Yang FH, Li CY, Liu J, Zhou P. Reversible immortalization of human hepatocytes mediated by retroviral transfer and site-specific recombination.
World J Gastroenterol 2014;
20:13119-13126. [PMID:
25278705 PMCID:
PMC4177490 DOI:
10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13119]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To establish a method for the reversible immortalization of human hepatocytes, which may offer a good and safe source of hepatocytes for practical applications.
METHODS: We successfully isolated primary human hepatocytes from surgically resected liver tissue taken from a patient with liver hemangiomas. The freshly isolated cells were then immortalized with retroviral vector SSR#69 expressing simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40T) and hygromycin-resistance genes flanked by paired loxP recombination targets.
RESULTS: The freshly isolated hepatocytes with high viability (85%) were successfully immortalized using retroviral gene transfer of SV40T. SV40T in the immortalized cells was then excised by Cre/loxP site-specific recombination. This cell population exhibited the characteristics of differentiated hepatocytes.
CONCLUSION: We successfully established reversibly immortalized human hepatocytes, which will provide an unlimited supply of cells for practical applications.
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