Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols

Hepatocytes account for approximately 80% of the liver mass and play a significant role in various aspects of liver physiopathology, exhibiting unrivaled complexity and diversity of functions. In Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers provide the reader with methods, technical protocols, and review chapters focusing on selected areas of hepatocyte biology including isolation, culture, differentiation and stem cells, and hepatocyte use in clinical, basic, and applied research. With a specific emphasis on human hepatocytes, the volume presents chapters covering subjects including hepatocyte culture models, cryopreservation methods, differentiation assessment, liver ontogenesis, production of hepatocytes from stem cells, drug/xenobiotic metabolism, toxicity and transport, bile acid and blood coagulation factor production, infection by HBV and HCV, humanized animals, biortificial liver devices, hepatocyte transplantation. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series, protocol chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols will be useful to all those who are currently using or planning to use human, or animal, hepatocytes to investigate any aspect of liver physiopathology or who are interested in liver development or liver stem cells and liver biotherapy.