Figure 3. Transplantation of differentiated cells and characterization of cells sorted for surface ASGPR expression.
(A) One million hepatocyte-differentiated hES cells were transplanted into retrorsine-treated immune deficient NOD-SCID mice following 50% partial hepatectomy. Following transplantation, (B) human albumin and human α 1AT levels were measured by ELISA. Pig albumin levels in control mice transplanted with primary porcine hepatocytes are shown for comparison. (C) Imaging for luciferase expressing cells was performed three weeks after transplantation. Prior to transplantation, differentiated hES cells were transduced to express firefly luciferase. Differentiated cells containing an active albumin promoter, and thus expressing luciferase, appear to have traveled through the portal circulation after introduction into the spleen to engraft in the livers of transplanted mice. There was no evidence of luciferase-expressing cells in the spleen.