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Photo by Åsa Hansdotter
Experiments in pregnant mice indicate that bile acid supports the production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in fetuses.
The work revealed large amounts of bile acids inside mouse fetuses and suggested these acids are transferred from the mothers via the placenta to help the fetuses produce HSCs.
“Fetuses produce small amounts of bile acids on their own, but here we are talking about much larger quantities,” said study author Kenichi Miharada, PhD, of Lund University in Sweden.
“The bile acid appears to be produced by the mother and then transferred to the fetus via the placenta.”
Dr Miharada and his colleagues detailed this discovery in Cell Stem Cell.
The investigators already knew that bile acid is produced in the fetal liver, but they did not know why.
With this study, they discovered that bile acid supports the production of HSCs in the fetal liver and enables them to develop normally. The additional contribution from the mother is important for the fetus to develop normally.
And although a large part of bile acid is toxic for cells, it undergoes a purification process when transferred through the placenta, letting only harmless bile acid through to the fetus.
“Our hypothesis is that the consequence of a damaged placenta, which, for various reasons, is unable to transfer bile acids to the fetus, can lead to leukemia or other blood diseases later in life, and we will continue our research to see if this hypothesis holds up,” Dr Miharada said.
He and his colleagues also said this work has implications for producing HSCs that could treat these blood diseases.
The problem with making HSCs proliferate outside the body is that the artificial growth gives rise to an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This ER stress, if severe and chronic, causes cell death.
Dr Miharada and his colleagues previously showed it is possible to reduce ER stress chemically by adding bile acids to the cell culture. Bile acids, which are produced naturally in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, support protein production during the cell division process.
“Compared to other ways of trying to develop stem cells to treat blood diseases, this method is safer and quicker because it does not involve using any artificial substances or any genetic modifications, merely a substance that already exists inside the body,” Dr Miharada explained. 
Photo by Åsa Hansdotter
Experiments in pregnant mice indicate that bile acid supports the production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in fetuses.
The work revealed large amounts of bile acids inside mouse fetuses and suggested these acids are transferred from the mothers via the placenta to help the fetuses produce HSCs.
“Fetuses produce small amounts of bile acids on their own, but here we are talking about much larger quantities,” said study author Kenichi Miharada, PhD, of Lund University in Sweden.
“The bile acid appears to be produced by the mother and then transferred to the fetus via the placenta.”
Dr Miharada and his colleagues detailed this discovery in Cell Stem Cell.
The investigators already knew that bile acid is produced in the fetal liver, but they did not know why.
With this study, they discovered that bile acid supports the production of HSCs in the fetal liver and enables them to develop normally. The additional contribution from the mother is important for the fetus to develop normally.
And although a large part of bile acid is toxic for cells, it undergoes a purification process when transferred through the placenta, letting only harmless bile acid through to the fetus.
“Our hypothesis is that the consequence of a damaged placenta, which, for various reasons, is unable to transfer bile acids to the fetus, can lead to leukemia or other blood diseases later in life, and we will continue our research to see if this hypothesis holds up,” Dr Miharada said.
He and his colleagues also said this work has implications for producing HSCs that could treat these blood diseases.
The problem with making HSCs proliferate outside the body is that the artificial growth gives rise to an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This ER stress, if severe and chronic, causes cell death.
Dr Miharada and his colleagues previously showed it is possible to reduce ER stress chemically by adding bile acids to the cell culture. Bile acids, which are produced naturally in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, support protein production during the cell division process.
“Compared to other ways of trying to develop stem cells to treat blood diseases, this method is safer and quicker because it does not involve using any artificial substances or any genetic modifications, merely a substance that already exists inside the body,” Dr Miharada explained.
Photo by Åsa Hansdotter
Experiments in pregnant mice indicate that bile acid supports the production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in fetuses.
The work revealed large amounts of bile acids inside mouse fetuses and suggested these acids are transferred from the mothers via the placenta to help the fetuses produce HSCs.
“Fetuses produce small amounts of bile acids on their own, but here we are talking about much larger quantities,” said study author Kenichi Miharada, PhD, of Lund University in Sweden.
“The bile acid appears to be produced by the mother and then transferred to the fetus via the placenta.”
Dr Miharada and his colleagues detailed this discovery in Cell Stem Cell.
The investigators already knew that bile acid is produced in the fetal liver, but they did not know why.
With this study, they discovered that bile acid supports the production of HSCs in the fetal liver and enables them to develop normally. The additional contribution from the mother is important for the fetus to develop normally.
And although a large part of bile acid is toxic for cells, it undergoes a purification process when transferred through the placenta, letting only harmless bile acid through to the fetus.
“Our hypothesis is that the consequence of a damaged placenta, which, for various reasons, is unable to transfer bile acids to the fetus, can lead to leukemia or other blood diseases later in life, and we will continue our research to see if this hypothesis holds up,” Dr Miharada said.
He and his colleagues also said this work has implications for producing HSCs that could treat these blood diseases.
The problem with making HSCs proliferate outside the body is that the artificial growth gives rise to an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This ER stress, if severe and chronic, causes cell death.
Dr Miharada and his colleagues previously showed it is possible to reduce ER stress chemically by adding bile acids to the cell culture. Bile acids, which are produced naturally in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, support protein production during the cell division process.
“Compared to other ways of trying to develop stem cells to treat blood diseases, this method is safer and quicker because it does not involve using any artificial substances or any genetic modifications, merely a substance that already exists inside the body,” Dr Miharada explained.