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A novel strategy for in vivo expansion of transplanted hepatocytes using preparative hepatic irradiation and FasL-induced hepatocellular apoptosis

Gene Therapy volume 10, pages 304–313 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

A strategy for inducing preferential proliferation of the engrafted hepatocytes over host liver cells should markedly increase the benefit of hepatocyte transplantation for the treatment of liver diseases and ex vivo gene therapy. We hypothesized that preparative hepatic irradiation (HIR) to inhibit host hepatocellular regeneration in combination with the mitotic stimulus of host hepatocellular apoptosis should permit repopulation of the liver by transplanted cells. To test this hypothesis, congeneic normal rat hepatocytes were transplanted into UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1)-deficient jaundiced Gunn rats (a model of Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I), following HIR and adenovirus-mediated FasL gene transfer. Progressive repopulation of the liver by engrafted UGT1A1-proficient hepatocytes over 5 months was demonstrated by the appearance of UGT1A1 protein and enzyme activity in the liver, biliary bilirubin glucuronides secretion, and long-term normalization of serum bilirubin levels. This is the first demonstration of massive hepatic repopulation by transplanted cells by HIR and FasL-induced controlled apoptosis of host liver cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

    M Takahashi, Y Kawashita, N Roy-Chowdhury & J Roy-Chowdhury

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

    N J Deb, Y Kawashita, B Vikram & C Guha

  3. Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

    M Takahashi, Y Kawashita, S W Lee, N Roy-Chowdhury, J Roy-Chowdhury & C Guha

  4. Department of Pathology, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA

    J Furgueil

  5. Department of Genetics, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan

    T Okuyama

  6. Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

    N Roy-Chowdhury & J Roy-Chowdhury

Authors
  1. M Takahashi
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  2. N J Deb
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  3. Y Kawashita
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  4. S W Lee
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  5. J Furgueil
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  6. T Okuyama
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  7. N Roy-Chowdhury
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  8. B Vikram
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  9. J Roy-Chowdhury
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  10. C Guha
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Additional information

Supported by NIH Grants DK 34357 (to NRC), DK 46057 (to JRC), and P30-DK 41296 (Liver Research Core Center, Director, D.A. Shafritz) and an American Cancer Society grant RPG-00-066-01-CCE (to CG)

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Takahashi, M., Deb, N., Kawashita, Y. et al. A novel strategy for in vivo expansion of transplanted hepatocytes using preparative hepatic irradiation and FasL-induced hepatocellular apoptosis. Gene Ther 10, 304–313 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301909

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301909

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