Turrini P, Monego G, Gonzalez J, Cicuzza S, Bonanno G, Zelano G, Rosenthal N, Paonessa G, Laufer R, Padron J. Human hepatocytes in mice receiving pre-immune injection with human cord blood cells.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005;
326:66-73. [PMID:
15567153 DOI:
10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.10.204]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2004] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that certain subpopulations of human adult stem cells can generate hepatocyte-like cells when transplanted into adult immunosuppressed mice. In the present study, we wanted to explore whether xeno-transplantation of human cord blood CD34(+) (hCBCD34(+)) cells during pre-immune stages of development in immunocompetent mice might also lead to human-mouse liver chimerism. Freshly isolated hCBCD34(+) cells were xeno-transplanted into non-immunosuppressed mice by both intra-blastocyst and intra-fetal injections. One and four weeks after birth, immunostaining for different human-specific hepatocyte markers: human hepatocyte-specific antigen, human serum albumin, and human alpha-1-antitrypsin indicated the presence of human hepatocyte-like cells in the livers of transplanted animals. Detection of human albumin mRNA further corroborated the development of pre-immune human-mouse chimeras. The current report, besides providing new evidence of the potential of hCBCD34(+) cells to generate human hepatocyte-like cells, suggests novel strategies for generating immunocompetent mice harboring humanized liver.
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