Multipotent progenitor cells derived from human umbilical cord blood can differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in a liver injury rat model.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB), a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, offers practical and ethical advantages. It has been reported that various adult stem cells transplanted into a damaged liver show characteristics of a hepatic lineage. In a previous study, we reported on novel UCB-derived adult stem cells, termed umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent progenitor cells (UCB-MPCs). We demonstrated that these cells were capable of differentiating into hepatocyte- like cells in vitro. To assess the hepatic differentiation capacity of UCB-MPCs, rat models of hepatic injury were generated using carbon tetra-chloride (CCl(4)) with transplantation of cells into the liver. The transplanted cells successfully incorporated into the liver of the recipient animal differentiated into functional hepatocyte-like cells that expressed hepatocyte-specific markers, such as CK-18 and albumin. Moreover, human albumin was detected in the serum of the recipient rat model. These data indicated that UCB-MPCs were capable of displaying similar characteristics to those of functional hepatocytes in a recipient liver. UCB-MPCs may prove to be a useful, transplantable alternative for hepatic progenitor cells in both experimental and therapeutic applications.