Chemical Cocktails Enable Hepatic Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts with a Single Transcription Factor

The Progress and Promise of Lineage Reprogramming Strategies for Liver Regeneration

The liver exhibits remarkable regenerative capacity. However, the limited ability of primary human hepatocytes to proliferate in vitro, combined with a compromised regenerative capacity induced by pathological conditions in vivo, presents significant obstacles to effective liver regeneration following liver injuries and diseases. Developing strategies to compensate for the loss of endogenous hepatocytes is crucial for overcoming these challenges, and this remains an active area of investigation. Lineage reprogramming, the process of directly converting one cell type into another bypassing the intermediate pluripotent state, has emerged as a promising method for generating specific cell types for therapeutic purposes in regenerative medicine. Here, we discuss the recent progress and emergent technologies in lineage reprogramming into hepatic cells, and their potential applications in enhancing liver regeneration or treating liver disease models. We also address controversies and challenges that confront this field.

MEK inhibitor PD0325901 upregulates CD34 expression in endothelial cells via inhibition of ERK phosphorylation

Introduction

CD34-positive endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) promote angiogenesis and are a promising tool for regenerative cell therapy of ischemic diseases. However, the number and quality of CD34-positive cells decrease owing to various external and internal factors; thus, an efficient method is needed to establish CD34-positive EPCs. The generation of functional cells by reprogramming, that is, manipulating cell fate via gene transfer and/or treatment with chemical compounds, has recently been reported. Therefore, we aimed to generate CD34-positive cells by the reprogramming of endothelial cells (ECs).

Methods

Based on previous reports, seven candidate chemical compounds were selected to reprogram human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) to CD34-positive cells. Following stimulation with the chemical compounds, the expression of CD34 was evaluated using quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, and immunocytochemistry.

Results

HUVECs treated with the compounds exhibited increased CD34 expression. We cultured cells in alternate media lacking one of the seven compounds and found no CD34 expression in cells treated with PD0325901-free media, suggesting that PD0325901-a MEK inhibitor-mainly contributed to the increase in CD34 expression. We found that 98% of cells were CD34-positive after PD0325901 treatment alone for 7 d. Western blotting revealed that the phosphorylation of ERK was suppressed in PD0325901-treated cells. No upregulation of CD34 was observed in fibroblast cell lines, even after PD0325901 treatment. These results suggested that PD0325901 induces CD34-positive cells by inhibiting ERK phosphorylation in ECs.

Conclusions

CD34 expression was strongly induced in ECs by treatment with the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 in vitro. Our study provides a useful reference for the establishment of CD34-positive EPCs and will contribute to the development of regenerative therapies, especially for ischemic diseases.

Highly efficient conversion of mouse fibroblasts into functional hepatic cells under chemical induction

Previous studies have shown that hepatocyte-like cells can be generated from fibroblasts using either lineage-specific transcription factors or chemical induction methods. However, these methods have their own deficiencies that restrict the therapeutic applications of such induced hepatocytes. In this study, we present a transgene-free, highly efficient chemical-induced direct reprogramming approach to generate hepatocyte-like cells from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Using a small molecule cocktail (SMC) as an inducer, MEFs can be directly reprogrammed into hepatocyte-like cells, bypassing the intermediate stages of pluripotent and immature hepatoblasts. These chemical-induced hepatocyte-like cells (ciHeps) closely resemble mature primary hepatocytes in terms of morphology, biological behavior, gene expression patterns, marker expression levels, and hepatic functions. Furthermore, transplanted ciHeps can integrate into the liver, promote liver regeneration, and improve survival rates in mice with acute liver damage. ciHeps can also ameliorate liver fibrosis caused by chronic injuries and enhance liver function. Notably, ciHeps exhibit no tumorigenic potential either in vitro or in vivo. Mechanistically, SMC-induced mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and suppression of SNAI1 contribute to the fate conversion of fibroblasts into ciHeps. These results indicate that this transgene-free, chemical-induced direct reprogramming technique has the potential to serve as a valuable means of producing alternative hepatocytes for both research and therapeutic purposes. Additionally, this method also sheds light on the direct reprogramming of other cell types under chemical induction.

Chemical Transdifferentiation of Somatic Cells: Unleashing the Power of Small Molecules

Chemical transdifferentiation is a technique that utilizes small molecules to directly convert one cell type into another without passing through an intermediate stem cell state. This technique offers several advantages over other methods of cell reprogramming, such as simplicity, standardization, versatility, no ethical and safety concern and patient-specific therapies. Chemical transdifferentiation has been successfully applied to various cell types across different tissues and organs, and its potential applications are rapidly expanding as scientists continue to explore new combinations of small molecules and refine the mechanisms driving cell fate conversion. These applications have opened up new possibilities for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug discovery and tissue engineering. However, there are still challenges and limitations that need to be overcome before chemical transdifferentiation can be translated into clinical practice. These include low efficiency and reproducibility, incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms, long-term stability and functionality of the transdifferentiated cells, cell-type specificity and scalability. In this review, we compared the commonly used methods for cell transdifferentiation in recent years and discussed the current progress and future perspective of the chemical transdifferentiation of somatic cells and its potential impact on biomedicine. We believe that with ongoing research and technological advancements, the future holds tremendous promise for harnessing the power of small molecules to shape the cellular landscape and revolutionize the field of biomedicine.

Cell Transdifferentiation: A Challenging Strategy with Great Potential

With the discovery and development of somatic cell nuclear transfer, cell fusion, and induced pluripotent stem cells, cell transdifferentiation research has presented unique advantages and stimulated a heated discussion worldwide. Cell transdifferentiation is a phenomenon by which a cell changes its lineage and acquires the phenotype of other cell types when exposed to certain conditions. Indeed, many adult stem cells and differentiated cells were reported to change their phenotype and transform into other lineages. This article reviews the differentiation of stem cells and classification of transdifferentiation, as well as the advantages, challenges, and prospects of cell transdifferentiation. This review discusses new research directions and the main challenges in the use of transdifferentiation in human cells and molecular replacement therapy. Overall, such knowledge is expected to provide a deep understanding of cell fate and regulation, which can change through differentiation, dedifferentiation, and transdifferentiation, with multiple applications.

Small molecule drugs promote repopulation of transplanted hepatocytes by stimulating cell dedifferentiation

Background & Aims

Hepatocyte transplantation has emerged as a possible treatment option for end-stage liver disease. However, an important obstacle to therapeutic success is the low level of engraftment and proliferation of transplanted hepatocytes, which do not survive long enough to exert therapeutic effects. Thus, we aimed to explore the mechanisms of hepatocyte proliferation in vivo and find a way to promote the growth of transplanted hepatocytes.

Methods

Hepatocyte transplantation was performed in Fah ^-/- mice to explore the mechanisms of hepatocyte proliferation in vivo. Guided by in vivo regeneration mechanisms, we identified compounds that promote hepatocyte proliferation in vitro. The in vivo effects of these compounds on transplanted hepatocytes were then evaluated.

Results

The transplanted mature hepatocytes were found to dedifferentiate into hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), which proliferate and then convert back to a mature state at the completion of liver repopulation. The combination of two small molecules Y-27632 (Y, ROCK inhibitor) and CHIR99021 (C, Wnt agonist) could convert mouse primary hepatocytes into HPCs, which could be passaged for more than 30 passages in vitro. Moreover, YC could stimulate the proliferation of transplanted hepatocytes in Fah ^-/- livers by promoting their conversion into HPCs. Netarsudil (N) and LY2090314 (L), two clinically used drugs which target the same pathways as YC, could also promote hepatocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo, by facilitating HPC conversion.

Conclusions

Our work suggests drugs promoting hepatocyte dedifferentiation may facilitate the growth of transplanted hepatocytes in vivo and may facilitate the application of hepatocyte therapy.

Impact and implications

Hepatocyte transplantation may be a treatment option for patients with end-stage liver disease. However, one important obstacle to hepatocyte therapy is the low level of engraftment and proliferation of the transplanted hepatocytes. Herein, we show that small molecule compounds which promote hepatocyte proliferation in vitro by facilitating dedifferentiation, could promote the growth of transplanted hepatocytes in vivo and may facilitate the application of hepatocyte therapy.

IL6 supports long-term expansion of hepatocytes in vitro

Hepatocytes are very difficult to expand in vitro. A few studies have demonstrated that chemical cocktails with growth factors or Wnt ligands can support long-term expansion of hepatocytes via dedifferentiation. However, the culture conditions are complex, and clonal expansion of hepatic progenitors with full differentiation capacity are rarely reported. Here, we discover IL6, combined with EGF and HGF, promotes long-term expansion (>30 passages in ~150 days with theoretical expansion of ~10³⁵ times) of primary mouse hepatocytes in vitro in simple 2D culture, by converting hepatocytes into induced hepatic progenitor cells (iHPCs), which maintain the capacity of differentiation into hepatocytes. IL6 also supports the establishment of single hepatocyte-derived iHPC clones. The summation of the downstream STAT3, ERK and AKT pathways induces a number of transcription factors which support rapid growth. This physiological and simple way may provide ideas for culturing previously difficult-to-culture cell types and support their future applications.

Small compound-based direct cell conversion with combinatorial optimization of pathway regulations

MOTIVATION

Direct cell conversion, direct reprogramming (DR), is an innovative technology that directly converts source cells to target cells without bypassing induced pluripotent stem cells. The use of small compounds (e.g. drugs) for DR can help avoid carcinogenic risk induced by gene transfection; however, experimentally identifying small compounds remains challenging because of combinatorial explosion.

RESULTS

In this article, we present a new computational method, COMPRENDRE (combinatorial optimization of pathway regulations for direct reprograming), to elucidate the mechanism of small compound-based DR and predict new combinations of small compounds for DR. We estimated the potential target proteins of DR-inducing small compounds and identified a set of target pathways involving DR. We identified multiple DR-related pathways that have not previously been reported to induce neurons or cardiomyocytes from fibroblasts. To overcome the problem of combinatorial explosion, we developed a variant of a simulated annealing algorithm to identify the best set of compounds that can regulate DR-related pathways. Consequently, the proposed method enabled to predict new DR-inducing candidate combinations with fewer compounds and to successfully reproduce experimentally verified compounds inducing the direct conversion from fibroblasts to neurons or cardiomyocytes. The proposed method is expected to be useful for practical applications in regenerative medicine.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The code supporting the current study is available at the http://labo.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/~yamani/comprendre.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Probing cell identity hierarchies by fate titration and collision during direct reprogramming

Despite the therapeutic promise of direct reprogramming, basic principles concerning fate erasure and the mechanisms to resolve cell identity conflicts remain unclear. To tackle these fundamental questions, we established a single-cell protocol for the simultaneous analysis of multiple cell fate conversion events based on combinatorial and traceable reprogramming factor expression: Collide-seq. Collide-seq revealed the lack of a common mechanism through which fibroblast-specific gene expression loss is initiated. Moreover, we found that the transcriptome of converting cells abruptly changes when a critical level of each reprogramming factor is attained, with higher or lower levels not contributing to major changes. By simultaneously inducing multiple competing reprogramming factors, we also found a deterministic system, in which titration of fates against each other yields dominant or colliding fates. By investigating one collision in detail, we show that reprogramming factors can disturb cell identity programs independent of their ability to bind their target genes. Taken together, Collide-seq has shed light on several fundamental principles of fate conversion that may aid in improving current reprogramming paradigms.

Stem Cell Therapies for Chronic Liver Diseases: Progress and Challenges

Chronic liver diseases have become a significant health issue worldwide and urgently require the development of novel therapeutic approaches, in addition to liver transplantation. Recent clinical and preclinical studies have shown that cell-based therapeutic strategies may contribute to the improvement of chronic liver diseases and offer new therapeutic options to restore liver function through their roles in tissue impairment and immunomodulation. In this review, we summarize the current progress and analyze the challenges for different types of cell therapies used in the treatment of chronic liver diseases currently explored in clinical trials and preclinical studies in animal models. We also discuss some critical issues regarding the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, the most extensive cell source of stem cells), including therapeutic dosage, transfusion routine, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of transfused MSCs.

Direct chemical induction of hepatocyte-like cells with capacity for liver repopulation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Cell fate can be directly reprogrammed from accessible cell types (e.g., fibroblasts) into functional cell types by exposure to small molecule stimuli. However, no chemical reprogramming method has been reported to date that successfully generates functional hepatocyte-like cells that can repopulate liver tissue, casting doubt over the feasibility of chemical reprogramming approaches to obtain desirable cell types for therapeutic applications.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Here, through chemical induction of phenotypic plasticity, we provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the direct chemical reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into functional hepatocyte-like cells using exposure to small molecule cocktails in culture medium to successively stimulate endogenous expression of master transcription factors associated with hepatocyte development, such as hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a, nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group I, member 2, and nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group H, member 4. RNA sequencing analysis, metabolic assays, and in vivo physiological experiments show that chemically induced hepatocytes (CiHeps) exhibit comparable activity and function to primary hepatocytes, especially in liver repopulation to rescue liver failure in fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase^-/- recombination activating gene 2^-/- interleukin 2 receptor, gamma chain^-/- mice in vivo. Single-cell RNA-seq further revealed that gastrointestinal-like and keratinocyte-like cells were induced along with CiHeps, resembling the activation of an intestinal program within hepatic reprogramming as described in transgenic approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that direct chemical reprogramming can generate hepatocyte-like cells with high-quality physiological properties, providing a paradigm for establishing hepatocyte identity in fibroblasts and demonstrating the potential for chemical reprogramming in organ/tissue repair and regeneration therapies.

Primary Broiler Hepatocytes for Establishment of a Steatosis Model

Fatty liver hemorrhage syndrome (FLHS) in chickens is characterized by steatosis and bleeding in the liver, which has caused huge losses to the poultry industry. This study aimed to use primary cultured broiler hepatocytes to establish a steatosis model to explore the optimal conditions for inducing steatosis by incubating the cells with a fat emulsion. Primary hepatocytes were isolated from an AA broiler by a modified two-step in situ perfusion method. Hepatocytes were divided into an untreated control group and a fat emulsion group that was incubated with 2.5, 5, 10, or 20% fat emulsion for different times to determine the optimal conditions for inducing steatosis of primary hepatocytes. Incubation of the cells with 10% fat emulsion resulted in cell viability at 48 h of 67%, which was higher than the control group and met the requirements of the model. In the second experiment, steatosis was induced by incubating hepatocytes with 10% fat emulsion for 48 h. In consequence, the apoptosis rate decreased (p > 0.05) and the concentration of ALT (p < 0.001), AST (p < 0.01), and TG (p < 0.05) increased significantly; the expression level of SREBP-1c (p < 0.05) increased, and the expression levels of PPARα (p < 0.001), CPT1 (p < 0.001), and CPT2 (p < 0.05) were lower in the fat emulsion group than in the control group. In conclusion, the induction condition was selected as 10% fat emulsion incubation for 48 h, and we successfully established a fatty liver degeneration model for broilers.

Small molecules facilitate single factor-mediated sweat gland cell reprogramming

BACKGROUND

Large skin defects severely disrupt the overall skin structure and can irreversibly damage sweat glands (SG), thus impairing the skin's physiological function. This study aims to develop a stepwise reprogramming strategy to convert fibroblasts into SG lineages, which may provide a promising method to obtain desirable cell types for the functional repair and regeneration of damaged skin.

METHODS

The expression of the SG markers cytokeratin 5 (CK5), cytokeratin 10 (CK10), cytokeratin 18 (CK18), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), aquaporin 5 (AQP5) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was assessed with quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Calcium activity analysis was conducted to test the function of induced SG-like cells (iSGCs). Mouse xenograft models were also used to evaluate the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs. BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into a normal group, SGM treatment group and iSGC transplantation group. Immunocytochemical analyses and starch-iodine sweat tests were used to confirm the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.

RESULTS

EDA overexpression drove HDF conversion into iSGCs in SG culture medium (SGM). qPCR indicated significantly increased mRNA levels of the SG markers CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, and flow cytometry data demonstrated (4.18 ± 0.04)% of iSGCs were CK5 positive and (4.36 ± 0.25)% of iSGCs were CK18 positive. The addition of chemical cocktails greatly accelerated the SG fate program. qPCR results revealed significantly increased mRNA expression of CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, as well as activation of the duct marker CK10 and luminal functional marker AQP5. Flow cytometry indicated, after the treatment of chemical cocktails, (23.05 ± 2.49)% of iSGCs expressed CK5⁺ and (55.79 ± 3.18)% of iSGCs expressed CK18⁺, respectively. Calcium activity analysis indicated that the reactivity of iSGCs to acetylcholine was close to that of primary SG cells [(60.79 ± 7.71)% vs. (70.59 ± 0.34)%, ns]. In vivo transplantation experiments showed approximately (5.2 ± 1.1)% of the mice were sweat test positive, and the histological analysis results indicated that regenerated SG structures were present in iSGCs-treated mice.

CONCLUSION

We developed a SG reprogramming strategy to generate functional iSGCs from HDFs by using the single factor EDA in combination with SGM and small molecules. The generation of iSGCs has important implications for future in situ skin regeneration with SG restoration.

Preparation of Functional Human Hepatocytes Ex Vivo

Hepatocytes are liver parenchymal cells involved in performing various metabolic reactions. During the development of therapeutic drugs, toxicological assays are conducted using hepatocyte cultures before clinical trials. However, since primary hepatocytes cannot proliferate and rapidly lose their functions in vitro, many efforts have been put into modifying culture conditions to expand primary hepatocytes and induce hepatocyte functions in intrinsic and extrinsic stem/progenitor cells. In this chapter, we summarize recent advances in preparing hepatocyte cultures and induction of hepatocytes from various cellular sources.

Pre-existing chromatin accessibility of switchable repressive compartment delineates cell plasticity

Cell plasticity endows differentiated cells with competence to be reprogrammed to other lineages. Although extrinsic factors driving cell-identity conversion have been extensively characterized, it remains elusive which intrinsic epigenetic attributes, including high-order chromatin organization, delineate cell plasticity. By analysing the transcription-factor-induced transdifferentiation from fibroblasts to hepatocytes, we uncovered contiguous compartment-switchable regions (CSRs) as a unique chromatin unit. Specifically, compartment B-to-A CSRs, enriched with hepatic genes, possessed a mosaic status of inactive chromatin and pre-existing and continuous accessibility in fibroblasts. Pre-existing accessibility enhanced the binding of inducible factor Foxa3, which triggered epigenetic activation and chromatin interaction as well as hepatic gene expression. Notably, these changes were restrained within B-to-A CSR boundaries that were defined by CTCF occupancy. Moreover, such chromatin organization and mosaic status were detectable in different cell types and involved in multiple reprogramming processes, suggesting an intrinsic chromatin attribute in understanding cell plasticity.

Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into induced hepatocytes: Cracking the Enigma code

There is an unmet need for functional primary human hepatocytes to support the pharmaceutical and (bio)medical demand. The unique discovery, a decade ago, that somatic cells can be drawn out of their apparent biological lockdown to reacquire a pluripotent state has revealed a completely new avenue of possibilities for generating surrogate human hepatocytes. Since then, the number of papers reporting the direct conversion of somatic cells into induced hepatocytes (iHeps) has burgeoned. A hepatic cell fate can be established via the ectopic expression of native liver-enriched transcription factors in somatic cells, thereby bypassing the need for an intermediate (pluripotent) stem cell state. That said, understanding and eventually controlling the processes that give rise to functional iHeps remains challenging. In this review, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art reprogramming cocktails and techniques, as well as their corresponding conversion efficiencies. Special attention is paid to the role of liver-enriched transcription factors as hepatogenic reprogramming tools and small molecules as facilitators of hepatic transdifferentiation. To conclude, we formulate recommendations to optimise, standardise and enrich the in vitro production of iHeps to reach clinical standards, and propose minimal criteria for their characterisation.

Conversion of mouse embryonic fibroblasts into neural crest cells and functional corneal endothelia by defined small molecules

Reprogramming of somatic cells into desired functional cell types by small molecules has vast potential for developing cell replacement therapy. Here, we developed a stepwise strategy to generate chemically induced neural crest cells (ciNCCs) and chemically induced corneal endothelial cells (ciCECs) from mouse fibroblasts using defined small molecules. The ciNCCs exhibited typical NCC features and could differentiate into ciCECs using another chemical combination in vitro. The resulting ciCECs showed consistent gene expression profiles and self-renewal capacity to those of primary CECs. Notably, these ciCECs could be cultured for as long as 30 passages and still retain the CEC features in defined medium. Transplantation of these ciCECs into an animal model reversed corneal opacity. Our chemical approach for direct reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into ciNCCs and ciCECs provides an alternative cell source for regeneration of corneal endothelia and other tissues derived from neural crest.

Stem cell-based approaches in cardiac tissue engineering: controlling the microenvironment for autologous cells

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Cardiac tissue engineering strategies focusing on biomaterial scaffolds incorporating cells and growth factors are emerging as highly promising for cardiac repair and regeneration. The use of stem cells within cardiac microengineered tissue constructs present an inherent ability to differentiate into cell types of the human heart. Stem cells derived from various tissues including bone marrow, dental pulp, adipose tissue and umbilical cord can be used for this purpose. Approaches ranging from stem cell injections, stem cell spheroids, cell encapsulation in a suitable hydrogel, use of prefabricated scaffold and bioprinting technology are at the forefront in the field of cardiac tissue engineering. The stem cell microenvironment plays a key role in the maintenance of stemness and/or differentiation into cardiac specific lineages. This review provides a detailed overview of the recent advances in microengineering of autologous stem cell-based tissue engineering platforms for the repair of damaged cardiac tissue. A particular emphasis is given to the roles played by the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating the physiological response of stem cells within cardiac tissue engineering platforms.

Generation of metabolically functional hepatocyte-like cells from dedifferentiated fat cells by Foxa2, Hnf4a and Sall1 transduction

Mature adipocyte-derived dedifferentiated fat (DFAT) cells have been identified to possess similar multipotency to mesenchymal stem cells, but a method for converting DFAT cells into hepatocytes was previously unknown. Here, using comprehensive analysis of gene expression profiles, we have extracted three transcription factors, namely Foxa2, Hnf4a and Sall1 (FHS), that can convert DFAT cells into hepatocytes. Hepatogenic induction has converted FHS-infected DFAT cells into an epithelial-like morphological state and promoted the expression of hepatocyte-specific features. Furthermore, the DFAT-derived hepatocyte-like (D-Hep) cells catalyzed the detoxification of several compounds. These results indicate that the transduction of DFAT cells with three genes, which were extracted by comprehensive gene expression analysis, efficiently generated D-Hep cells with detoxification abilities similar to those of primary hepatocytes. Thus, D-Hep cells may be useful as a new cell source for surrogate hepatocytes and may be applied to drug discovery studies, such as hepatotoxicity screening and drug metabolism tests.

Self-Organized Liver Microtissue on a Bio-Functional Surface: The Role of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells in Hepatic Function

The maintenance of hepatocyte function is a critical research topic in liver tissue engineering. Although an increasing number of strategies have been developed, liver tissue engineering using hepatocytes as a therapeutic alternative remains challenging owing to its poor efficacy. In this study, we developed a multicellular hepatic microtissue to enhance the function of induced hepatic precursor cells. Mouse induced hepatic precursor cells (miHeps) were self-organized in 3D with human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) on a bio-functional matrix. We found that hepatic phenotypes, such as levels of albumin, asialoglycoprotein receptor-1, and cytochrome P450, were enhanced in miHeps-hASC microtissue comprising miHeps and hASCs relative to two-dimensional-cultured miHeps-hASCs. Additionally, the secretome of 3D-cultured hASCs increased the hepatic function of mature miHeps. Furthermore, hepatic gene expression was reduced in mature miHeps treated with conditioned media of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α)-depleted hASCs relative to that with conditioned media of control hASCs. Our results suggested that the hepatic function of 3D-co-cultured miHeps could be enhanced by HIF1α-dependent factors secreted from stromal cells. This study provides an insight into the factors regulating hepatic function and shows that self-organized hepatic microtissue could act as liver spheroids for liver regenerative medicine and liver toxicity tests.

Unresolved Complexity in the Gene Regulatory Network Underlying EMT

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process whereby a polarized epithelial cell ceases to maintain cell-cell contacts, loses expression of characteristic epithelial cell markers, and acquires mesenchymal cell markers and properties such as motility, contractile ability, and invasiveness. A complex process that occurs during development and many disease states, EMT involves a plethora of transcription factors (TFs) and signaling pathways. Whilst great advances have been made in both our understanding of the progressive cell-fate changes during EMT and the gene regulatory networks that drive this process, there are still gaps in our knowledge. Epigenetic modifications are dynamic, chromatin modifying enzymes are vast and varied, transcription factors are pleiotropic, and signaling pathways are multifaceted and rarely act alone. Therefore, it is of great importance that we decipher and understand each intricate step of the process and how these players at different levels crosstalk with each other to successfully orchestrate EMT. A delicate balance and fine-tuned cooperation of gene regulatory mechanisms is required for EMT to occur successfully, and until we resolve the unknowns in this network, we cannot hope to develop effective therapies against diseases that involve aberrant EMT such as cancer. In this review, we focus on data that challenge these unknown entities underlying EMT, starting with EMT stimuli followed by intracellular signaling through to epigenetic mechanisms and chromatin remodeling.

Genetic and Epigenetic Modification of Rat Liver Progenitor Cells via HNF4α Transduction and 5' Azacytidine Treatment: An Integrated miRNA and mRNA Expression Profile Analysis

Neonatal liver-derived rat epithelial cells (rLEC) from biliary origin are liver progenitor cells that acquire a hepatocyte-like phenotype upon sequential exposure to hepatogenic growth factors and cytokines. Undifferentiated rLEC express several liver-enriched transcription factors, including the hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF) 3β and HNF6, but not the hepatic master regulator HNF4α. In this study, we first investigated the impact of the ectopic expression of HNF4α in rLEC on both mRNA and microRNA (miR) level by means of microarray technology. We found that HNF4α transduction did not induce major changes to the rLEC phenotype. However, we next investigated the influence of DNA methyl transferase (DNMT) inhibition on the phenotype of undifferentiated naïve rLEC by exposure to 5' azacytidine (AZA), which was found to have a significant impact on rLEC gene expression. The transduction of HNF4α or AZA treatment resulted both in significantly downregulated C/EBPα expression levels, while the exposure of the cells to AZA had a significant effect on the expression of HNF3β. Computationally, dysregulated miRNAs were linked to target mRNAs using the microRNA Target Filter function of Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. We found that differentially regulated miRNA-mRNA target associations predict ectopic HNF4α expression in naïve rLEC to interfere with cell viability and cellular maturation (miR-19b-3p/NR4A2, miR30C-5p/P4HA2, miR328-3p/CD44) while it predicts AZA exposure to modulate epithelial/hepatic cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle progression and the differentiation of stem cells (miR-18a-5p/ESR1, miR-503-5p/CCND1). Finally, our computational analysis predicts that the combination of HNF4α transduction with subsequent AZA treatment might cause changes in hepatic cell proliferation and maturation (miR-18a-5p/ESR1, miR-503-5p/CCND1, miR-328-3p/CD44) as well as the apoptosis (miR-16-5p/BCL2, miR-17-5p/BCL2, miR-34a-5p/BCL2 and miR-494-3p/HMOX1) of naïve rLEC.

Phenotype instability of hepatocyte-like cells produced by direct reprogramming of mesenchymal stromal cells

BACKGROUND

Hepatocyte-like cells (iHEPs) generated by transcription factor-mediated direct reprogramming of somatic cells have been studied as potential cell sources for the development of novel therapies targeting liver diseases. The mechanisms involved in direct reprogramming, stability after long-term in vitro expansion, and safety profile of reprogrammed cells in different experimental models, however, still require further investigation.

METHODS

iHEPs were generated by forced expression of Foxa2/Hnf4a in mouse mesenchymal stromal cells and characterized their phenotype stability by in vitro and in vivo analyses.

RESULTS

The iHEPs expressed mixed hepatocyte and liver progenitor cell markers, were highly proliferative, and presented metabolic activities in functional assays. A progressive loss of hepatic phenotype, however, was observed after several passages, leading to an increase in alpha-SMA+ fibroblast-like cells, which could be distinguished and sorted from iHEPs by differential mitochondrial content. The resulting purified iHEPs proliferated, maintained liver progenitor cell markers, and, upon stimulation with lineage maturation media, increased expression of either biliary or hepatocyte markers. In vivo functionality was assessed in independent pre-clinical mouse models. Minimal engraftment was observed following transplantation in mice with acute acetaminophen-induced liver injury. In contrast, upon transplantation in a transgenic mouse model presenting host hepatocyte senescence, widespread engraftment and uncontrolled proliferation of iHEPs was observed, forming islands of epithelial-like cells, adipocyte-like cells, or cells presenting both morphologies.

CONCLUSION

The results have significant implications for cell reprogramming, suggesting that iHEPs generated by Foxa2/Hnf4a expression have an unstable phenotype and depend on transgene expression for maintenance of hepatocyte-like characteristics, showing a tendency to return to the mesenchymal phenotype of origin and a compromised safety profile.

Impelling force and current challenges by chemicals in somatic cell reprogramming and expansion beyond hepatocytes

In the field of regenerative medicine, generating numerous transplantable functional cells in the laboratory setting on a large scale is a major challenge. However, the in vitro maintenance and expansion of terminally differentiated cells are challenging because of the lack of specific environmental and intercellular signal stimulations, markedly hindering their therapeutic application. Remarkably, the generation of stem/progenitor cells or functional cells with effective proliferative potential is markedly in demand for disease modeling, cell-based transplantation, and drug discovery. Despite the potent genetic manipulation of transcription factors, integration-free chemically defined approaches for the conversion of somatic cell fate have garnered considerable attention in recent years. This review aims to summarize the progress thus far and discuss the advantages, limitations, and challenges of the impact of full chemicals on the stepwise reprogramming of pluripotency, direct lineage conversion, and direct lineage expansion on somatic cells. Owing to the current chemical-mediated induction, reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells with reproducibility difficulties, and direct lineage converted cells with marked functional deficiency, it is imperative to generate the desired cell types directly by chemically inducing their potent proliferation ability through a lineage-committed progenitor state, while upholding the maturation and engraftment capacity posttransplantation in vivo. Together with the comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of chemical drives, as well as the elucidation of specificity and commonalities, the precise manipulation of the expansion for diverse functional cell types could broaden the available cell sources and enhance the cellular function for clinical application in future.

Chemical cocktails enable hepatic reprogramming of human urine-derived cells with a single transcription factor

Human liver or hepatocyte transplantation is limited by a severe shortage of donor organs. Direct reprogramming of other adult cells into hepatic cells may offer a solution to this problem. In a previous study, we have generated hepatocyte-like cells from mouse fibroblasts using only one transcription factor (TF) plus a chemical cocktail. Here, we show that human urine-derived epithelial-like cells (hUCs) can also be transdifferentiated into human hepatocyte-like cells (hiHeps) using one TF (Foxa3, Hnf1α, or Hnf4α) plus the same chemical cocktail CRVPTD (C, CHIR99021; R, RepSox; V, VPA; P, Parnate; T, TTNPB; and D, Dznep). These hiHeps express multiple hepatocyte-specific genes and display functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes. With the introduction of the large T antigen, these hiHeps can be expanded in vitro and can restore liver function in mice with concanavalin-A-induced acute liver failure. Our study provides a strategy to generate functional hepatocyte-like cells from hUCs by using a single TF plus a chemical cocktail.

Innovation for hepatotoxicity in vitro research models: A review

Many categories of drugs can induce hepatotoxicity, so improving the prediction of toxic drugs is important. In vitro models using human hepatocytes are more accurate than in vivo animal models. Good in vitro models require an abundance of metabolic enzyme activities and normal cellular polarity. However, none of the in vitro models can completely simulate hepatocytes in the human body. There are two ways to overcome this limitation: enhancing the metabolic function of hepatocytes and changing the cultural environment. In this review, we summarize the current state of research, including the main characteristics of in vitro models and their limitations, as well as improved technology and developmental prospects. We hope that this review provides some new ideas for hepatotoxicity research.

Chemical compound-based direct reprogramming for future clinical applications

Recent studies have revealed that a combination of chemical compounds enables direct reprogramming from one somatic cell type into another without the use of transgenes by regulating cellular signaling pathways and epigenetic modifications. The generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells generally requires virus vector-mediated expression of multiple transcription factors, which might disrupt genomic integrity and proper cell functions. The direct reprogramming is a promising alternative to rapidly prepare different cell types by bypassing the pluripotent state. Because the strategy also depends on forced expression of exogenous lineage-specific transcription factors, the direct reprogramming in a chemical compound-based manner is an ideal approach to further reduce the risk for tumorigenesis. So far, a number of reported research efforts have revealed that combinations of chemical compounds and cell-type specific medium transdifferentiate somatic cells into desired cell types including neuronal cells, glial cells, neural stem cells, brown adipocytes, cardiomyocytes, somatic progenitor cells, and pluripotent stem cells. These desired cells rapidly converted from patient-derived autologous fibroblasts can be applied for their own transplantation therapy to avoid immune rejection. However, complete chemical compound-induced conversions remain challenging particularly in adult human-derived fibroblasts compared with mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). This review summarizes up-to-date progress in each specific cell type and discusses prospects for future clinical application toward cell transplantation therapy.