In vitro expansion of cirrhosis derived liver epithelial cells reveals progenitor-like properties

Our goal is to in vitro expand mouse hepatocytes and human cirrhotic liver hepatocytes. Under the extreme culture condition, mouse hepatocytes proliferated and de-diffrentiated into progenitor cell like cells, moreover, the progenitor like cells could re-differentiate into hepatocytes in vivo. On the other hand, huamn cirrhotic liver cells could also expand and retain the probability of differentiate in vivo. To find the relationship between hepatocytes and hepatocyte derived progenitor cells in vitro. We used TGF-beta, BMP and Hedgehog inhibitors to expand bothe mouse normal hepatocytes and human cirrhotic liver epithelial cells.