肝脏干细胞的研究进展

Progress of liver stem cell research

干细胞为机体进化过程中高度保守的细胞族 ,在机体细胞再生调控中具有特殊的作用。目前认为以肝内胆管系统源性为主的多潜能肝脏干细胞分化群 ,既可向胆管细胞分化 ,又可向肝细胞分化。近年来 ,在现代细胞生物学、分子生物学及分子遗传学研究推动下 ,有关肝脏干细胞定位、来源、发生、演变、功能及体外培养、鉴定技术等研究取得了较大进展 。

The liver can precisely regulate its growth and mass. Surgical resection of hepatic lobes or hepatocytes loss caused by viral or chemical injury triggers liver regeneration achieved by the entry of normally proliferatively quiescent hepatocytes into the cell cycle. Especially when hepatocyte regeneration is defective, bile ductular cells can migrate from the portal tracts and then differentiate into hepatocyte. These biliary cells are called oval cells. Researchs suggested that some differentiated hepatocytes, hematopoietic stem cells, etc. are the progeny of facultative stem cells, and this may prove useful for transplantation and gene therapy.