Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40377485›Full record

ArticleHepatology communications2025

Enhancement of hepatic differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Na Li, Rui Wei, Yangyang Yuan, Mingdan Deng, Yang Hu, Chi-Wa Cheng, Jiayin Yang, Wai-In Ho, Ka-Wing Au, Yiu-Lam Tse and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hepatology communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Na LiDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Rui WeiDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yangyang YuanCentre for Stem Cell Translational Biology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Mingdan DengCentre for Stem Cell Translational Biology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yang HuDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Chi-Wa ChengDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6164-1512
Jiayin YangCell Inspire Therapeutics Co., Ltd and Cell Inspire Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9134-1959
Wai-In HoDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ka-Wing AuDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yiu-Lam TseDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Fei LiDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xinyi WuDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yee-Man LauDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Songyan LiaoDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Stephanie MaCentre for Stem Cell Translational Biology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2029-7943
Pentao LiuCentre for Stem Cell Translational Biology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5774-9678
Kwong-Man NgDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Miguel A EstebanHong Kong-Guangdong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1426-6809
Hung-Fat TseDepartment of Medicine, The Cardiology Division, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9578-7808

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInduced pluripotent stem cells induced hepatocytes (iHeps) are widely used in modeling human liver diseases and as a potential cell source for replacement therapy. However, most iHeps are relatively immature and challenging to maintain for long-term in vitro culture.

methodsWe optimized the differentiation protocol by addition of a combination of small molecules to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in iHeps (iHeps EMTi), and further characterized their function both in vitro and in vivo analyses.

resultsInhibition of EMT extended the in vitro culture period of iHeps EMTi from day 24 to day 60. In vitro analysis revealed that, compared to control, iHeps EMTi exhibited significantly higher expression levels of hepatic functional markers and enhanced hepatocyte functions, including lipid accumulation, glycogen storage, albumin secretion, and urea acid metabolism. Moreover, the molecular profiles of iHeps EMTi are closer to those of primary human hepatocytes. In addition, the in vivo engraftment efficiency of iHeps EMTi in the chimeric mice model was also improved as compared to iHeps alone.

conclusionsWe established a robust protocol to generate human iHeps with improved function and capable of long-term in vitro culturing via the suppression of EMT. Moreover, those iHeps with EMT suppression have improved engraftment in human chimeric mice.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionHepatocytesInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsAnimalsCells, CulturedHumansMicecell therapyepithelial–mesenchymal transitioninduced pluripotent stem cellsiPSC-induced hepatocytes

Identifiers

PMID40377485
PMCPMC12088630

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.