Engrafted human stem cell-derived hepatocytes establish an infectious HCV murine model

J Clin Invest. 2014 Nov;124(11):4953-64. doi: 10.1172/JCI75456. Epub 2014 Oct 8.

Abstract

The demonstrated ability to differentiate both human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) holds great promise for both regenerative medicine and liver disease research. Here, we determined that, despite an immature phenotype, differentiated HLCs are permissive to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and mount an interferon response to HCV infection in vitro. HLCs differentiated from hESCs and hiPSCs could be engrafted in the liver parenchyma of immune-deficient transgenic mice carrying the urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene driven by the major urinary protein promoter. The HLCs were maintained for more than 3 months in the livers of chimeric mice, in which they underwent further maturation and proliferation. These engrafted and expanded human HLCs were permissive to in vivo infection with HCV-positive sera and supported long-term infection of multiple HCV genotypes. Our study demonstrates efficient engraftment and in vivo HCV infection of human stem cell-derived hepatocytes and provides a model to study chronic HCV infection in patient-derived hepatocytes, action of antiviral therapies, and the biology of HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C / virology*
  • Hepatocytes / transplantation*
  • Hepatocytes / virology
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / physiology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / virology
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Viral Proteins