FOXM1 Inhibition Promotes Polyploidization and Metabolic Maturation in Human iPSC-Derived Hepatocytes by Modulating the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Abstract

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs)-derived hepatocytes are widely used in regenerative medicine and disease modeling. However, existing protocols mainly produce fetal-like cells, limiting accurate modeling of liver functionality. Topoisomerase II (TOP2) and its transcription factor, forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), are silenced during late liver embryonic development; however, their roles in hepatocyte differentiation remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of TOP2 and FOXM1 inhibition on the terminal differentiation of hepatocytes. We found that subtoxic TOP2 inhibition reduced nuclear chromatin condensation without causing DNA damage. RNA-seq analysis showed that TOP2 inhibition induced cell cycle arrest in a TOP2A-selective manner, with FOXM1 downregulation. ATAC-seq validation demonstrated that TOP2A inhibition decreases chromatin accessibility and modulates the Wnt/{beta}-catenin pathway. Proteomic analysis revealed that FOXM1 inhibition modulated TOP2A expression, replicated TOP2A-mediated cell cycle arrest, and reduced the levels of fetal hepatocyte proteins (HBG1/2, UGT2B7, and AFP). Prolonged FOXM1 inhibition is correlated with increased hepatocyte polyploidization, enhanced CYP450 activity, and improved lipid metabolism, suggesting a potential role in these processes. Overall, our findings suggest that FOXM1 inhibition significantly promotes the terminal differentiation of human iPSC-derived hepatocytes, indicating a potential role for FOXM1 and TOP2A in liver development, regeneration, and disease.