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Abstract

The present invention relates to liver reserve or progenitor cells. In particular, it relates to the isolation, characterization, culturing, and uses of liver reserve cells. Liver reserve cells isolated by density gradient centrifugation can be distinguished from other liver parenchymal cells by their morphology, staining characteristics, high proliferative activity and ability to differentiate in vitro. In long-term cultures described herein, these cells expand in numbers and differentiate into morphologically mature liver parenchymal cells, capable of mediating liver-specific functions. Therefore, isolated liver reserve cells may have a wide range of applications, including, but not limited to, their uses as vehicles of exogenous genes in gene therapy, and/or to replace and reconstitute a destroyed, infected, or genetically deficient mammalian liver by transplantation.

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First Claim