Generation of Hepatobiliary Cell Lineages from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Applications in Disease Modeling and Drug Screening |
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Authors: | Mattia Pasqua,Roberto Di Gesù ,Cinzia Maria Chinnici,Pier Giulio Conaldi,Maria Giovanna Francipane |
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Affiliation: | 1.Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.P.); (R.D.G.); (C.M.C.);2.Dipartimento della Ricerca, IRCCS ISMETT, 90127 Palermo, Italy;3.McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA |
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Abstract: | The possibility to reproduce key tissue functions in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is offering an incredible opportunity to gain better insight into biological mechanisms underlying development and disease, and a tool for the rapid screening of drug candidates. This review attempts to summarize recent strategies for specification of iPSCs towards hepatobiliary lineages —hepatocytes and cholangiocytes—and their use as platforms for disease modeling and drug testing. The application of different tissue-engineering methods to promote accurate and reliable readouts is discussed. Space is given to open questions, including to what extent these novel systems can be informative. Potential pathways for improvement are finally suggested. |
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Keywords: | iPSCs hepatocytes cholangiocytes disease modeling drug testing tissue engineering |
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