Generation of hepatocyte-like cells from sheep embryonic stem cells

Abstract

Development of in-vitro liver models in livestock species presents new opportunities for studying animal physiology and expanding biotechnological applications. Here, we describe a serum-free differentiation strategy to generate hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) from sheep embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The HLCs displayed hepatocyte morphology and key hepatic functions such as albumin secretion, inducible P450 activity, lipid uptake and storage. Transcriptomic analysis further confirmed progressive hepatic specification and revealed both conserved and species-specific gene expression patterns. Overall, this study establishes a robust system for generating sheep HLCs and offers a platform for studying liver biology in livestock and exploring further biotechnological applications, including cellular agriculture.