Figure 3.

Sources of patient-specific hepatocytes. For an individualized liver-on-a-chip, the target cells must be obtained from patients. Evidence suggests the possibility of transdifferentiating monocytes or fibroblasts into hepatocyte-like cells. Due to their limited cell proliferation capability, these cells must be induced to differentiate into pluripotent stem cells that proliferate indefinitely. Thus, iPS cells provide a scalable assay if needed. Given the low invasiveness of sample collection, blood cells are promising targets for hepatocyte generation. Abbreviations: HSPCs, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.