RNA-seq transcriptional profiling in IL6 induced hepatocytes in vitro and livers after 2/3 partial hepatectomy

We discover IL6, combined with EGF and HGF, promotes long-term expansion (>30 passages in ~150 days with theoretical expansion of ~1E+35 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 the rapid growth. Overall design: To further characterize IL6-iHPCs and IL6-iMHs, we compared their transcriptomic comparisonglobal gene expression to that of primary hepatocytes. To explore downstream transcription factors involved in IL6 induced hepatocytes proliferation, we evaluated the change of transcription factors in livers after PHX and during IL6 induced hepatocytes proliferation in vitro.