Thesis

Stem cell approaches to supply hepatocytes for regenerative medicine and in vitro pharmaceutical testing systems : (literature review)

Herunterladbarer Inhalt

PDF Herunterladen
Creator
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2012
Thesis identifier
  • T13249
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • The liver is one of the most complicated and essential organs in the human body. Its complexity has made it impossible to replicate its functions artificially. Therefore, when the liver fails to function correctly a liver transplant is the only current solution. There would be more transplants but for the lack of donors. The combination of liver diseases with the lack of liver donors results in thousands of deaths in the UK every year. To help bridge the gap to transplantation or heal the damaged liver, fully functional hepatocytes are required. When trying to replace liver function the lack of functional human hepatocytes currently available is the biggest problem facing cellular therapies and bioartificial liver devices. Human hepatocytes quickly lose their metabolic functions after their host dies and are difficult to cryopreserve whilst animal hepatocytes are usually avoided due to fear of spreading viral diseases. This literature review investigated the use of stem cells as a suitable cell source to overcome the lack of functional hepatocytes currently available. Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to produce an unlimited supply of hepatocytes. An unlimited supply of fully functioning hepatocytes would be invaluable for cellular therapies, liver tissue engineering, bioartificial liver devices, modelling inherited and chronic liver diseases as well as drug development and toxicity testing. Differentiating stem cells (taken from anywhere other than the liver) into mature, fully functional hepatocytes would get around the lack of liver donations. ESCs, iPSCs and MSCs were examined in terms of differentiation procedures, resulting cells, advantages, disadvantages and any related concerns.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2012
Former identifier
  • 948801

Beziehungen

Objekte

Miniaturansicht Titel Hochladedatum Sichtbarkeit Aktionen
file details PDF of thesis T13249 2021-07-02 Öffentlich Herunterladen