Katsuda Takeshi, Sakai Yasuyuki, Ochiya Takahiro
Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
J Stem Cells. 2012;7(1):1-17.
Recent advances in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research have attracted much attention. The ability to generate such cells from somatic cells has implications for overcoming both immunological rejection and the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem (ES) cells. Hepatocytes derived from patient-specific iPS cells offer a possible solution to the shortage of cell sources in cell replacement therapy, drug screening, and disease model. Despite such great promise, however, recent articles have questioned the viability of the therapeutic applications of iPS cells. These cells must, therefore, satisfy stringent criteria prior to practical use. The main focus of this review is a description of the current status of hepatic differentiation technology of iPS cells and a discussion of the concerns regarding the practical use of these techniques in cell replacement therapy, drug screening, and disease model. The current status of strategies for generating iPS cells and the accumulated knowledge on strategies for differentiating ES cells into hepatocytes will be summarized. We also refer to the possibility of direct conversion of adult somatic cells into functional hepatocytes.
诱导多能干细胞（iPS细胞）研究的最新进展备受关注。从体细胞生成此类细胞的能力对于克服免疫排斥以及与胚胎干细胞（ES细胞）相关的伦理问题具有重要意义。源自患者特异性iPS细胞的肝细胞为细胞替代治疗、药物筛选和疾病模型中细胞来源短缺问题提供了一种可能的解决方案。然而，尽管前景广阔，但近期的文章对iPS细胞治疗应用的可行性提出了质疑。因此，这些细胞在实际应用前必须满足严格的标准。本综述的主要重点是描述iPS细胞肝脏分化技术的现状，并讨论在细胞替代治疗、药物筛选和疾病模型中实际应用这些技术所涉及的问题。将总结生成iPS细胞的策略现状以及将ES细胞分化为肝细胞的策略的积累知识。我们还将提及成体体细胞直接转化为功能性肝细胞的可能性。
