Hepatocyte-like cells and liver organoids: the application of iPSCs and their derivants for treating liver diseases

Abstract

Liver diseases have become a great burden to human health because of their high morbidity and mortality rates. Orthotopic liver transplantation, which has always been considered the primary treatment for end-stage liver disease, has limitations in clinical practice. The development of cell therapy, especially induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), holds promise in treating liver diseases. It has been reported that hepatocyte-like cells and liver organoids derived from iPSCs can be applied to establish disease models, test drug hepatotoxicity or directly perform specific functions as grafts. In this article, we systematically reviewed two differentiated derivants of iPSCs and show the prospective application of differentiated products in order to provide an experimental and theoretical basis for clinical treatment.