The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Vesta Therapeutics Inc.

Nicholas Moss

Lola M Reid

Andrew T Bruce

John W Ludlow

Mark E Furth

Hiroshi Kubota

Michael F Goy

Xun Qian

Hepatic progenitors comprise two populations of human hepatic stem cells, primitive and proximal hepatic stem cells, and two populations of committed progenitors, one for biliary cells and one for hepatocytes. Human primitive hepatic stem cells are a very small fraction of the liver cell population and give rise to proximal hepatic stem cells constituting a much larger fraction of the liver. Human proximal hepatic stem cells give rise to biliary and hepatocyte committed progenitors. Primitive and proximal stem cells are the primary stem cells for the human liver. Human primitive hepatic stem cells may be isolated by immunoselection from human livers or culturing human liver cells under conditions which select for a human primitive hepatic stem cell. Proximal hepatic stem cells may be isolated by immunoselection, or by culturing human liver cells under conditions which include a developmental factor. Proximal hepatic stem cells may also be isolated by culturing colonies comprising a primitive hepatic stem cell under conditions which include a developmental factor. Resulting compositions may be used for treating liver disorders and for producing bioartificial organs.

Primitive and proximal hepatic stem cells

A method for treating a disorder characterized by salt retention, fluid retention, and combinations thereof. A method for determining the presence of or the progression of a disorder characterized by salt retention, fluid retention, salt loss, fluid loss, and combinations thereof. An immunoassay kit for detecting a level of prouroguanylin in a sample.

Prouroguanylin, and synthetic analogs or proteolytic cleavage products derived from it, as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for diseases involving salt and/or fluid homeostasis

Growing community of inventors

Carrboro, NC, United States of America

Nicholas Moss