Direct differentiation of Dental Pulp Pluripotent-like Stem Cells differentiation into Hepatocyte-like Cells

Liver diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Dental pulp pluripotent-like stem cells (DPPSC) are a considerable promise in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine as a source of tissue-specific cells, therefore this study aims to demonstrate their ability to generate functional hepatocyte-like cells in vitro. Cells were differentiated on a collagen scaffolds in serum free media supplemented with growth factors and cytokines to recapitulate liver development. At day 5, the differentiated DPPSC cells expressed the endodermal markers FOXA1 and FOXA2. Then, the cells were derived into the hepatic lineage generating hepatocyte-like cells. In addition to the associated morphological changes, the cells expressed the hepatic genes HNF6, AFP. The terminally differentiated hepatocyte-like cells expressed the liver functional proteins albumin and CYP3A4. In this study, we report an efficient serum-free protocol to differentiate DPPSCs into functional hepatocyte-like cells. Our approach promotes the use of DPPSCs as a new source of adult stem cells for prospective use in liver regenerative medicine.