Immortalized Marmoset Hepatic Progenitor Cells

Immortalized marmoset hepatic progenitor cells (MHPCs) are generated by lentivirus-mediated transfer of the simian virus 40 large T antigen gene in fetal liver polygonal cells. These cells possess hepatic progenitor cell-specific gene expression profiles with potential to differentiate into both hepatocytic and cholangiocytic lineages in vitro and in vivo and also can be genetically modified. Importantly, injected MHPCs repopulated the injured liver of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase-deficient mice with hepatocyte-like cells. MHPCs also engraft as cholangiocytes into bile ducts of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine-induced bile ductular injured mice. MHPCs provide a tool to enable efficient derivation and genetic modification of both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes for use in disease modeling, tissue engineering, and drug screening.