Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine have for the first time produced liver cells from adult skin cells using the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology.
The study paves the way for the creation of a stem cell library that can be used for in vitro hepatic disease models.
Primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are currently the "gold standard" cell type used in predictive drug toxicology. These cells are derived from dead or donor tissue. They can only survive for three to five days and do not have the ability to multiply. PHH cells are therefore a scarce and expensive resource.
The Edinburgh study presents an alternative way of sourcing hepatocytes by creating hepatic endoderm using the iPSC technology and then differentiating it into hepatocytes.
The in vitro derived hepatocytes showed similar attributes to PHH cells used for predictive drug toxicology assays, including CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 metabolism.
The method was successfully carried out with a variety of polymorphic variants, with cells derived from males and females of different ethnic origins.
The researchers say the process has the potential to supply an unlimited and reliable source of hepatocytes, which should enable earlier use in the screening cascade used by industry for drug discovery.
The research, which was carried out in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, is published in the journal Hepatology. As well as using liver cells created from stem cell lines to test drugs, it is hoped the cells could eventually be used in therapy for patients suffering from liver disease. They could also play a role to aid research into liver disease.
"We are now looking for ways to bring this technology into routine use for drug testing. This is an exciting opportunity and it gives me great pleasure to be able to turn the first recommendation of the UK Stem Cell Initiative into a reality," said Ian Wilmut, director of the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine.
The UK Stem Cell Initiative was set up in 2005 to formulate a ten-year vision of stem cell research in the UK.