Scientists have identified a new type of cell called a hepatobiliary hybrid progenitor (HHyP), that forms during our early development in the womb. Surprisingly, HHyP also persists in small quantities in adults and these cells can grow into the two main cell types of the adult liver (Hepatocytes and Cholangiocytes) giving HHyPs stem cell-like properties.
The team examined HHyPs and found that they resemble mouse stem cells which have been found to rapidly repair mice liver following major injury, such as occurs in cirrhosis.
For the first time, we have found that cells with true stem cell-like properties may well exist in the human liver. This, in turn, could provide a wide range of regenerative medicine applications for treating liver disease, including the possibility of bypassing the need for liver transplants.– Lead author Dr Tamir Rashid from the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
Liver disease is the fifth biggest killer in the UK* and the third most common cause of premature death, and the number of cases is continuing to rise. It can be caused by lifestyle issues such as obesity, viruses, alcohol misuse or by non-lifestyle issues such as autoimmune and genetic mediated disease.
Symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, itching and feelings of weakness and tiredness and in more severe cases, cirrhosis. The only treatment for severe liver diseases at present is a liver transplant which can lead to a lifetime of complications and for which the need for donor organs greatly outweighs the increasing demands.
We now need to work quickly to unlock the recipe for converting pluripotent stem cells into HHyPs so that we could transplant those cells into patients at will. In the longer term, we will also be working to see if we can reprogramme HHyPs within the body using traditional pharmacological drugs to repair diseased livers without either cell or organ transplantation/– Dr Rashid
Researchers at King’s College London have used single cell RNA sequencing to identify a type of cell that may be able to regenerate liver tissue, treating liver failure without the need for transplants.
Scientists have identified a new type of cell called a hepatobiliary hybrid progenitor (HHyP), that forms during our early development in the womb. Surprisingly, HHyP also persists in small quantities in adults and these cells can grow into the two main cell types of the adult liver (Hepatocytes and Cholangiocytes) giving HHyPs stem cell-like properties.
The team examined HHyPs and found that they resemble mouse stem cells which have been found to rapidly repair mice liver following major injury, such as occurs in cirrhosis.
Liver disease is the fifth biggest killer in the UK* and the third most common cause of premature death, and the number of cases is continuing to rise. It can be caused by lifestyle issues such as obesity, viruses, alcohol misuse or by non-lifestyle issues such as autoimmune and genetic mediated disease.
Symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, itching and feelings of weakness and tiredness and in more severe cases, cirrhosis. The only treatment for severe liver diseases at present is a liver transplant which can lead to a lifetime of complications and for which the need for donor organs greatly outweighs the increasing demands.
Source – King’s College London
Segal JM et al. (2019) Single cell analysis of human foetal liver captures the transcriptional profile of hepatobiliary hybrid progenitors. Nat Commun 10(1):3350. [article]
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Researchers at King’s College London have used single cell RNA sequencing to identify a type of cell that may be able to regenerate liver tissue, treating liver failure without the need for transplants.
Scientists have identified a new type of cell called a hepatobiliary hybrid progenitor (HHyP), that forms during our early development in the womb. Surprisingly, HHyP also persists in small quantities in adults and these cells can grow into the two main cell types of the adult liver (Hepatocytes and Cholangiocytes) giving HHyPs stem cell-like properties.
The team examined HHyPs and found that they resemble mouse stem cells which have been found to rapidly repair mice liver following major injury, such as occurs in cirrhosis.
Liver disease is the fifth biggest killer in the UK* and the third most common cause of premature death, and the number of cases is continuing to rise. It can be caused by lifestyle issues such as obesity, viruses, alcohol misuse or by non-lifestyle issues such as autoimmune and genetic mediated disease.
Symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, itching and feelings of weakness and tiredness and in more severe cases, cirrhosis. The only treatment for severe liver diseases at present is a liver transplant which can lead to a lifetime of complications and for which the need for donor organs greatly outweighs the increasing demands.
Source – King’s College London
Segal JM et al. (2019) Single cell analysis of human foetal liver captures the transcriptional profile of hepatobiliary hybrid progenitors. Nat Commun 10(1):3350. [article]
Related Posts
Heart failure reshapes bone marrow to create inflammation-related immune memory
Overlooked DNA regions surrounding ‘microexons’ hold missing pieces of autism’s genetic puzzle
An anti-senescence gene may fight spinal disc deterioration
Scientists identify the neuroblastoma cells that signal poor outcomes
Urine test may improve bladder cancer diagnosis and guide treatment decisions
Tracing 700 million years of cell evolution
RNA-Seq reveals a new way the developing heart controls its growth
The Human RNome Project Consortium seeks to publish first-ever complete sequence of the body’s RNA
Unmasking “zombie cells” in aging tissue with an AI-powered barcode
RNA variant imaging for cancer diagnosis
Autism-risk mutations reveal two opposing patterns of brain gene activity
Avoiding a sticky situation: how cells stop messenger RNAs from clumping together
RNA Sequencing identifies new tick-borne virus that causes flu-like illness
Worm’s radical transformation shows metamorphosis can change the functions of cells
RNA sequencing reveals functional chimeric mRNAs in mammalian immunity
Atlas of the brain’s striatum could guide researchers to new drug treatments
Immune cells offer insights on billion-dollar virus
A functionally integrated cross-tissue alternative splicing program during short-term calorie restriction
Dietary oxidized plant sterol shifts macrophage state to fuel aortic inflammation
Unlocking the past – new method helps gain insights into old tissue
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