Human biliary epithelial cells from discarded donor livers rescue bile duct structure and function in a mouse model of biliary disease

Biliary diseases can cause inflammation, fibrosis, bile duct destruction and eventually liver failure. There are no curative treatments for biliary disease except for liver transplantation. New therapies are urgently required. We have purified human Biliary Epithelial Cells (hBEC) from discarded human livers. hBECs were tested as a cell therapy in a mouse model of biliary disease where the conditional deletion of Mdm2 in cholangiocytes causes senescence, biliary strictures and fibrosis. hBEC are expandable, phenotypically stable and help restore biliary structure and function, highlighting their regenerative capacity and a potential alternative to liver transplantation for biliary disease. Overall design: Differential expression of CD133+ and CD133- human biliary epithelial cells from healthy (n=2) and steatotic (n=3) livers; Gene expression at different cell passages of CD133+ human biliary epithelial cells grown in vitro in two dimension-GMP compatible conditions (2D; n=4) and three dimensions (3D, organoids; n=5)