代謝機能を保持した肝細胞オルガノイドの効率的培養法の開発 ~創薬研究や疾患研究、再生医療の基盤技術として期待~

ad

2025-04-17 慶應義塾大学

慶應義塾大学の研究チームは、ヒト肝細胞が本来の代謝機能を維持しながら増殖できる培養法を開発し、オルガノイドとして100日以上の長期培養と百万倍以上の増殖に成功しました。この肝細胞オルガノイドは薬物代謝や脂質代謝、胆汁排出などの機能を試験管内で再現可能で、肝障害マウスへの移植でも肝機能の回復が確認されました。創薬や疾患研究、再生医療への応用が期待されます。本研究成果は2025年4月に英科学誌『Nature』電子版に掲載されました。

<関連情報>

代謝機能を有するヒト成体肝細胞オルガノイドの作製 Generation of human adult hepatocyte organoids with metabolic functions

Ryo Igarashi,Mayumi Oda,Ryo Okada,Tomoki Yano,Sirirat Takahashi,Strahil Pastuhov,Mami Matano,Norio Masuda,Kazuhiro Togasaki,Yuki Ohta,Saeko Sato,Takako Hishiki,Makoto Suematsu,Manabu Itoh,Masayuki Fujii & Toshiro Sato
Nature  Published:16 April 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08861-y

extended data figure 1

Abstract

Proliferating hepatocytes often undergo ductal metaplasia to balance the energy trade-off between cellular functions and replication, hindering the expansion of human adult hepatocytes with functional competency1. Here we demonstrate that the combined activation of Wnt and STAT3 signalling enables long-term self-renewal of human adult hepatocyte organoids. YAP activation facilitates hepatocyte proliferation but commits it towards the biliary duct lineage. By contrast, STAT3 activation by oncostatin M induces hepatocyte proliferation while counteracting ductal metaplasia and maintaining the hepatic identity. Xenotransplanted hepatocyte organoids repopulate the recipient mouse liver and reconstitute the metabolic zonation structure. Upon niche factor removal and hormone supplementation, hepatocyte organoids form cord-like structures with bile canalicular networks and exhibit major liver metabolic functions comparable to those of in vivo hepatocytes. Hepatocyte organoids are amenable to gene editing, prompting functional modelling of inherent metabolic liver diseases. The new culture system offers a promising avenue for developing therapeutic strategies against human liver diseases.

生物工学一般
ad
ad
Follow
ad
タイトルとURLをコピーしました