5月12日,，國際學術期刊《自然》在線發(fā)表了中國科學院上海生命科學研究院生物化學與細胞生物學研究所惠利健研究小組關于轉化型肝臟細胞的研究成果，證明肝臟以外的體細胞可以被誘導直接轉化為肝臟細胞,，為將來從病人自身體細胞誘導獲得肝臟細胞進行移植的應用奠定了基礎,。
人體的皮膚,、血液、神經(jīng),、肝臟等終末分化的功能細胞是由多能干細胞分化而來,，在自然界，這個過程是不可逆的,，但從理論來看,，通過生物工程它是可逆的?？茖W家已通過實驗方法將皮膚細胞轉化為多能干細胞,，然后又把多能干細胞分化為肝臟細胞。而該研究則簡化了這一過程，將小鼠尾巴上的皮膚成纖維細胞直接誘導為肝臟細胞,，這種細胞具有和體內肝臟細胞類似的上皮細胞形態(tài),、基因表達譜、且獲得了肝臟細胞的功能,。
研究所通過實驗發(fā)現(xiàn),，將轉化型肝臟細胞移植于肝衰竭的小鼠，有近一半仍然存活,，證明了轉化型肝臟細胞具有體內功能,。據(jù)悉，該項研究尚處于動物實驗階段,，應用于臨床,，還需要相當長時間優(yōu)化。
《自然》雜志的編委和評審專家高度評價此項工作的開創(chuàng)性意義,，他們認為研究中所建立的技術體系,，作為一項重大突破，對同領域的研究工作具有指導意義,。
除了在細胞移植的臨床應用前景外,，轉化型肝臟細胞在制藥工業(yè)有關的藥物代謝和藥物毒理研究中，在基礎醫(yī)學和臨床醫(yī)學中對肝臟疾病機理研究也具有廣泛的應用前景,。目前已申請了相關專利,，并有意投入開發(fā)利用，爭取將實驗室的基礎研究成果轉化為真正的科研生產(chǎn)力,，回報社會,，造福人類。這一工作得到了科技部,、國家自然科學基金委,、中國科學院的經(jīng)費支持。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Nature DOI:10.1038/nature10116
Induction of functional hepatocyte-like cells from mouse fibroblasts by defined factors
[Abstract]The generation of functional hepatocytes independent of donor liver organs is of great therapeutic interest with regard to regenerative medicine and possible cures for liver disease1. Induced hepatic differentiation has been achieved previously using embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Particularly, hepatocytes generated from a patient’s own induced pluripotent stem cells could theoretically avoid immunological rejection. However, the induction of hepatocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells is a complicated process that would probably be replaced with the arrival of improved technology. Overexpression of lineage-specific transcription factors directly converts terminally differentiated cells into some other lineages9, 10, 11, 12, including neurons13, cardiomyocytes14 and blood progenitors15; however, it remains unclear whether these lineage-converted cells could repair damaged tissues in vivo. Here we demonstrate the direct induction of functional hepatocyte-like (iHep) cells from mouse tail-tip fibroblasts by transduction of Gata4, Hnf1α and Foxa3, and inactivation of p19Arf. iHep cells show typical epithelial morphology, express hepatic genes and acquire hepatocyte functions. Notably, transplanted iHep cells repopulate the livers of fumarylacetoacetate-hydrolase-deficient (Fah?/?) mice and rescue almost half of recipients from death by restoring liver functions. Our study provides a novel strategy to generate functional hepatocyte-like cells for the purpose of liver engineering and regenerative medicine.
