Development of the innovative hybrid artificial liver with establishment of the hepatocyte strain from human iPS cells

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25462093
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: National Hospital Organization, Kyushu Cancer Center (2015); Kyushu University (2013)
• Principal Investigator: YAMASHITA YOICHI 独立行政法人国立病院機構(九州がんセンター臨床研究センター), その他部局等, その他 (00404070)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Yonemitsu Yoshikazu 九州大学, 薬学研究院, 教授 (40315065) ; Ikeda Tetsuo 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (60585701) ; Shirabe Ken 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (70264025) ; Maehara Yoshihiko 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (80165662)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ヒトiPS細胞 / ハイブリッド型人工肝臓

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We newly established the well-differentiated liver cell line which has ammonia metabolism from human iPS cells. The metabolic detoxification ability is one of the highest specific liver functions, therefore, this cell line is thought to be the leading cell source at the time of clinical application of the artificial liver support system.
The ultimate hybrid artificial liver should be a “dropper type” rather than an extracorporeal type, therefore, we used the decellularized liver as a scaffold. Because of the vulnerability of the outer wall of the decellularized liver, the reinforcement using the “polyglycolic acid sheet + fibrin/thrombin solution” was performed. We succeeded the extracorporeal circulation for approximately one hour of rat decellularized liver. Using this experimental system, we evaluated the functions of the rat decellularized liver implanted with rat primary hepatocytes, and confirmed the high rate of ammonia metabolism.

Free Research Field

肝胆膵外科、癌の分子生物学、再生医療