Multipotent stem cells from the extrahepatic billary tree and methods of isolating same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multipotent stem cell, multipotent cell populations, and an enriched multipotent cell population, each found in fetal, neonatal, pediatric, and adult biliary tree tissue and up to 72 hours post mortem (although preferentially, within 10 hours post mortem) and capable of maturing into multiple endodermal tissues that include liver, biliary and pancreatic tissues. The multipotent stem / progenitor cell and cell populations are found in peribiliary glands, and progenitors descending from them are present throughout the biliary tree including in the gallbladder. High numbers of the peribiliary glands are found in the branching locations of the biliary tree such as hilum, common hepatic duct, cystic duct, common duct, common hepato-pancreatic duct and gallbladder. Related multipotent cells, multipotent cell populations and their descendent progenitors are found throughout the biliary tree including in the gall bladder, which does not have peribiliary glands. Compositions comprising same, methods of identifying and isolating same, maintaining same in culture, expanding same in culture and differentiating or lineage restricting the same in vitro or in vivo to hepatic, biliary or pancreatic fates (e.g., as hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and / or pancreatic islet cells) are also provided. Methods of using the multipotent cells and / or multipotent cell populations are also provided.

Description

[0001] Related patent application cross-reference [0002] This application claims priority to US Provisional Application 61 / 256,846, filed October 30, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. technical field [0003] The present invention relates generally to multipotent progenitor cells, including multipotent stem cells, in the biliary tree, liver and pancreas, and cell populations comprising the foregoing progenitor cells or stem cells. More specifically, the present application relates to multipotent progenitor or stem cells harvested from parts of the extrahepatic biliary tree and cell populations comprising such progenitor or stem cells. The present application includes: including the composition of the aforementioned progenitor cells or stem cells and corresponding cell populations and methods for identifying, isolating, culturing, expanding and differentiating these cells and cell populations in vitro and in vivo. Background technique [0004...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Although often successful in arresting or delaying some disease progression, organ transplantation is associated with considerable morbidity / mortality, and like all major surgical interventions, survival of the transplanted organ depends on long-term administration of potent, systemic Immunosuppressants, which often cause undesirable side effects

However, regardless of the success of these approaches, they are inherently limited by donor availability

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