Table 1.

Summary of common growth factors and alternative small molecules during the differentiation of HLCs from hPSCs.

Differentiation Stages	Growth Factors	Target Signaling Pathways	Alternative Small Molecules
Endoderm induction	activin A wnt3a	Activin/Nodal signaling pathway Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway	CHIR99021 [9]; NaB [14]; IWR-1 [10];
Hepatic specification	FGF4 BMP2	MAPK signaling pathway PI3K signaling pathway TGF-β signaling pathway	A83–01 [25]; DMSO [27];
Hepatic maturation	OSM HGF	OSM/gp130 signaling pathway STAT3-independent HGF signaling pathway	FH1 + FPH1 [28]; Dex [29]; Dihexa [27];

MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; PI3K: phosphoinositide 3-kinase; gp130: glycoprotein 130; NaB (sodium butyrate): histone deacetylase inhibitor; IWR1: Wnt signaling inhibitor; A83–01: TGF-β signaling inhibitor; FH1 + FPH1: small molecules that induce hepatocyte maturation in vitro; Dex: dexamethasone; Dihexa: HGF receptor agonist.