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Regenerative cell therapy for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemic Gunn rats with fresh and frozen human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived hepatic stem cells.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Fourrier, Angélique 
Delbos, Frédéric 
Menoret, Séverine 
Collet, Camille 
Thi Thuy, Linh Trinh 

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells have been investigated as a renewable source of therapeutic hepatic cells, in order to overcome the lack of transplantable donor hepatocytes. Whereas different studies were able to correct hepatic defects in animal models, they focused on the most mature phenotype of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from pluripotent stem cells and needed freshly prepared cells, which limits clinical applications of HLCs. Here, we report the production of hepatic stem cells (pHSCs) from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in xeno-free, feeder-free, and chemically defined conditions using as extracellular matrix a recombinant laminin instead of Matrigel, an undefined animal-derived matrix. Freshly prepared and frozen pHSCs were transplanted via splenic injection in Gunn rats, the animal model for Crigler-Najjar syndrome. Following cell transplantation and daily immunosuppression treatment, bilirubinemia was significantly decreased (around 30% decrease, P < .05) and remained stable throughout the 6-month study. The transplanted pHSCs underwent maturation in vivo to restore the deficient metabolic hepatic function (bilirubin glucuronidation by UGT1A1). In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time the differentiation of hiPSCs into pHSCs that (a) are produced using a differentiation protocol compatible with Good Manufacturing Practices, (b) can be frozen, and (c) are sufficient to demonstrate in vivo therapeutic efficacy to significantly lower hyperbilirubinemia in a model of inherited liver disease, despite their immature phenotype. Thus, our approach provides major advances toward future clinical applications and would facilitate cell therapy manufacturing from human pluripotent stem cells.

Description

Keywords

Crigler-Najjar syndrome, Gunn rats, hepatocyte-like cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, regenerative medicine

Journal Title

Xenotransplantation

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0908-665X
1399-3089

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley
Sponsorship
European Research Council (693878)
European Commission (278152)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12009)
European Research Council (741707)
National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC/N001540/1)
The authors thank financial support from the European Union (INNOVALIV, FP7‐HEALTH‐2011nº 278152), the ERC advanced grant New‐Chol (LV), and the French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR‐14‐CE16‐0026‐StemHepTher). This work was realized in the context of the Labex IGO (n°ANR‐11‐LABX‐0016‐01) and IHU‐Cesti (ANR‐10‐IBHU‐005) projects, which are part of the « Investissements d'Avenir » French Government program managed by the ANR. The IHU‐Cesti project is also supported by Nantes Métropole and Région Pays de la Loire.