Skip to main content

A Modified Protocol for the Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes with Improved Viability and Function from Normal and Diseased Human Liver

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Hepatocyte Transplantation

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1506))

Abstract

Successful hepatocyte isolation is critical for continued development of cellular transplantation. However, most tissue available for research is from diseased liver and the results of hepatocyte isolation from such tissue are inferior compared to normal tissue. Here we describe a modified method, combining the use of Liberase and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), for the isolation of primary human hepatocytes with high viability from normal and diseased liver.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Houlihan DD, Newsome PN (2008) Critical review of clinical trials of bone marrow stem cells in liver disease. Gastroenterology 135(2):438–450

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Forbes SJ, Newsome PN (2012) New horizons for stem cell therapy in liver disease. J Hepatol 56(2):496–499

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Piscaglia AC, Campanale M, Gasbarrini A, Gasbarrini G (2010) Stem cell-based therapies for liver diseases: state of the art and new perspectives. Stem Cells Int 2010:259461

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Siniscalco D, Pandolfi A, Galderisi U (2012) State-of-the-art on basic and applied stem cell therapy; Stem Cell Research Italy-International Society for Cellular Therapy Europe, Joint Meeting, Montesilvano (PE)-Italy, June 10–12, 2011. Stem Cells Dev 21(5):668–669

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Oertel M, Shafritz DA (2008) Stem cells, cell transplantation and liver repopulation. Biochim Biophys Acta 1782(2):61–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Thomas JA, Forbes SJ (2009) A fat chance for hepatocyte transplantation? Gut 58(4):480–482

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Strom S, Fisher R (2003) Hepatocyte transplantation: new possibilities for therapy. Gastroenterology 124(2):568–571

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Lo B, Parham L (2009) Ethical issues in stem cell research. Endocr Rev 30(3):204–213

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Tsiaoussis J, Newsome PN, Nelson LJ, Hayes PC, Plevris JN (2001) Which hepatocyte will it be? Hepatocyte choice for bioartificial liver support systems. Liver Transpl 7(1):2–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Fitzpatrick E, Mitry RR, Dhawan A (2009) Human hepatocyte transplantation: state of the art. J Intern Med 266(4):339–357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dhawan A, Strom SC, Sokal E, Fox IJ (2010) Human hepatocyte transplantation. Methods Mol Biol 640:525–534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Puppi J, Strom SC, Hughes RD, Bansal S, Castell JV, Dagher I, Ellis EC, Nowak G, Ericzon BG, Fox IJ, Gomez-Lechon MJ, Guha C, Gupta S, Mitry RR, Ohashi K, Ott M, Reid LM, Roy-Chowdhury J, Sokal E, Weber A, Dhawan A (2012) Improving the techniques for human hepatocyte transplantation: report from a consensus meeting in London. Cell Transplant 21(1):1–10

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Dhawan A, Puppi J, Hughes RD, Mitry RR (2010) Human hepatocyte transplantation: current experience and future challenges. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 7(5):288–298

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Li AP (2007) Human hepatocytes: isolation, cryopreservation and applications in drug development. Chem Biol Interact 168(1):16–29

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. LeCluyse EL, Alexandre E (2010) Isolation and culture of primary hepatocytes from resected human liver tissue. Methods Mol Biol 640:57–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Alexandrova K, Griesel C, Barthold M, Heuft HG, Ott M, Winkler M, Schrem H, Manns MP, Bredehorn T, Net M, Vidal MM, Kafert-Kasting S, Arseniev L (2005) Large-scale isolation of human hepatocytes for therapeutic application. Cell Transplant 14(10):845–853

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hughes RD, Mitry RR, Dhawan A, Lehec SC, Girlanda R, Rela M, Heaton ND, Muiesan P (2006) Isolation of hepatocytes from livers from non-heart-beating donors for cell transplantation. Liver Transpl 12(5):713–717

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Kawahara T, Toso C, Douglas DN, Nourbakhsh M, Lewis JT, Tyrrell DL, Lund GA, Churchill TA, Kneteman NM (2010) Factors affecting hepatocyte isolation, engraftment, and replication in an in vivo model. Liver Transpl 16(8):974–982

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Vondran FW, Katenz E, Schwartlander R, Morgul MH, Raschzok N, Gong X, Cheng X, Kehr D, Sauer IM (2008) Isolation of primary human hepatocytes after partial hepatectomy: criteria for identification of the most promising liver specimen. Artif Organs 32(3):205–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bhogal RH, Hodson J, Bartlett DC, Weston CJ, Curbishley SM, Haughton E, Williams KT, Reynolds GM, Newsome PN, Adams DH, Afford SC (2011) Isolation of primary human hepatocytes from normal and diseased liver tissue: a one hundred liver experience. PLoS One 6(3):e18222

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Linetsky E, Selvaggi G, Bottino R, Kong SS, Qian T, Alejandro R, Ricordi C (1995) Comparison of collagenase type P and Liberase during human islet isolation using the automated method. Transplant Proc 27(6):3264

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Linetsky E, Bottino R, Lehmann R, Alejandro R, Inverardi L, Ricordi C (1997) Improved human islet isolation using a new enzyme blend, Liberase. Diabetes 46(7):1120–1123

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Brandhorst H, Brandhorst D, Hering BJ, Bretzel RG (1999) Significant progress in porcine islet mass isolation utilizing liberase HI for enzymatic low-temperature pancreas digestion. Transplantation 68(3):355–361

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Donini A, Baccarani U, Lavaroni S, Dialti V, Adami V, Risaliti A, Cautero N, Degrassi A, Bresadola F (2001) Liberase HI enzyme versus collagenase type P for porcine hepatocyte isolation. Transplant Proc 33(1–2):1972–1973

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Atkinson MC (2002) The use of N-acetylcysteine in intensive care. Crit Care Resusc 4(1):21–27

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Zwingmann C, Bilodeau M (2006) Metabolic insights into the hepatoprotective role of N-acetylcysteine in mouse liver. Hepatology 43(3):454–463

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Dunne JB, Davenport M, Williams R, Tredger JM (1994) Evidence that S-adenosylmethionine and N-acetylcysteine reduce injury from sequential cold and warm ischemia in the isolated perfused rat liver. Transplantation 57(8):1161–1168

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Fukuzawa K, Emre S, Senyuz O, Acarli K, Schwartz ME, Miller CM (1995) N-acetylcysteine ameliorates reperfusion injury after warm hepatic ischemia. Transplantation 59(1):6–9

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Fusai G, Glantzounis GK, Hafez T, Yang W, Quaglia A, Sheth H, Kanoria S, Parkes H, Seifalian A, Davidson BR (2005) N-Acetylcysteine ameliorates the late phase of liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the rabbit with hepatic steatosis. Clin Sci (Lond) 109(5):465–473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Sagias FG, Mitry RR, Hughes RD, Lehec SC, Patel AG, Rela M, Mieli-Vergani G, Heaton ND, Dhawan A (2010) N-Acetylcysteine improves the viability of human hepatocytes isolated from severely steatotic donor liver tissue. Cell Transplant 19(11):1487–1492

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Bartlett DC, Hodson J, Bhogal RH, Youster J, Newsome PN (2014) Combined use of N-acetylcysteine and Liberase improves the viability and metabolic function of human hepatocytes isolated from human liver. Cytotherapy 16(6):800–809

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Pichard L, Raulet E, Fabre G, Ferrini JB, Ourlin JC, Maurel P (2006) Human hepatocyte culture. Methods Mol Biol 320:283–293

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Medical Research Council.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to David C. Bartlett or Philip N. Newsome .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Bartlett, D.C., Newsome, P.N. (2017). A Modified Protocol for the Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes with Improved Viability and Function from Normal and Diseased Human Liver. In: Stock, P., Christ, B. (eds) Hepatocyte Transplantation. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1506. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6506-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6506-9_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6504-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6506-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics