Antibody recognizing proliferative human liver cells, proliferative human liver cells and functional human liver cells

Abstract

The invention provides a monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes proliferative human hepatocytes, a method for isolating proliferative human hepatocytes by using the antibody, and a method for inducing to differentiate the proliferative human hepatocytes to functional human hepatocytes. Further, the invention provides the proliferative human hepatocytes and functional human hepatocytes obtained by the methods, as well as a cell kit and a hybrid artificial liver comprising those hepatocytes.

1 - 4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . A method for isolating proliferative human hepatocytes, which comprises separating cells recognized by an antibody, from a human hepatocyte population, wherein said antibody specifically recognizes proliferative human hepatocytes that exist in a hepatocyte population isolated from an adult human liver and have clonal proliferative ability and differentiation ability to functional hepatocytes.  
     
     
         6 . Proliferative human hepatocytes isolated by the method of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         7 . A method for inducing the differentiation of the proliferative human hepatocytes of  claim 6 , which comprises performing at least one of the following means: 
 (a) spheroid culture of the proliferative human hepatocytes; and    (b) transfer of hepatic nuclear factor 4 (HNF4) gene into the proliferative human hepatocytes.    
     
     
         8 . Functional human hepatocytes induced to differentiate by the method of  claim 7 .  
     
     
         9 . A cell kit comprising the functional human hepatocytes of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         10 . A hybrid artificial liver packed with the functional human hepatocytes of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody is produced by hybridoma cell, Mouse-Mouse hybridoma K8223 (FERM BP-8334).