RESUMO
Primary human hepatocyte (PHH) transplantation is a promising alternative to liver transplantation, whereby liver function could be restored by partial repopulation of the diseased organ with healthy cells. However, currently PHH engraftment efficiency is low and benefits are not maintained long-term. Here we refine two male mouse models of human chronic and acute liver diseases to recapitulate compromised hepatocyte proliferation observed in nearly all human liver diseases by overexpression of p21 in hepatocytes. In these clinically relevant contexts, we demonstrate that transient, yet robust expression of human hepatocyte growth factor and epidermal growth factor in the liver via nucleoside-modified mRNA in lipid nanoparticles, whose safety was validated with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, drastically improves PHH engraftment, reduces disease burden, and improves overall liver function. This strategy may overcome the critical barriers to clinical translation of cell therapies with primary or stem cell-derived hepatocytes for the treatment of liver diseases.
Assuntos
Fator de Crescimento de Hepatócito , Hepatócitos , Nanopartículas , RNA Mensageiro , Animais , Hepatócitos/metabolismo , Hepatócitos/transplante , Humanos , Camundongos , Masculino , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Nanopartículas/química , Fator de Crescimento de Hepatócito/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento de Hepatócito/genética , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fígado/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento Epidérmico/metabolismo , Terapia Baseada em Transplante de Células e Tecidos/métodos , COVID-19/terapia , Hepatopatias/terapia , Hepatopatias/metabolismo , Hepatopatias/genética , Proliferação de Células , SARS-CoV-2/genética , LipossomosRESUMO
Primary human hepatocyte (PHH) transplantation is a promising alternative to liver transplantation, whereby liver function could be restored by partial repopulation of the diseased organ with healthy cells. However, currently PHH engraftment efficiency is low and benefits are not maintained long-term. Here we refine two mouse models of human chronic and acute liver diseases to recapitulate compromised hepatocyte proliferation observed in nearly all human liver diseases by overexpression of p21 in hepatocytes. In these clinically relevant contexts, we demonstrate that transient, yet robust expression of human hepatocyte growth factor and epidermal growth factor in the liver via nucleoside-modified mRNA in lipid nanoparticles, whose safety was validated with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, drastically improves PHH engraftment, reduces disease burden, and improves overall liver function. This novel strategy may overcome the critical barriers to clinical translation of cell therapies with primary or stem cell-derived hepatocytes for the treatment of liver diseases.