Fig. 3

Growth of transplanted hepatocytes differentiated from the ESCs of 129 mice in the recipient and the infiltration of lymphocytes in the transplant tissues. In the control group, ESCs and their differentiated hepatocytes could survive for about 1 week (a). Transplanted hepatocytes differentiated from the ESCs of 129 mice grew better in the liver tissues of recipients and their survival was prolonged to about 4 weeks in the regDC (b) and smDC (c) groups. CD3⁺ T-lymphocyte infiltration in the transplant tissues was more apparent in the control group (d) than in the regDC (e) and smDC (f) groups. As compared with the control group (imDCs), high levels of inhibitory cytokines including TGF-β and IL-10 and low levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-2 were detected in transplant tissues of the smDC and regDC groups. g Similarly, high levels of TGF-β and IL-10 and low levels of IL-2 were also detected in the peripheral blood of the smDC and regDC groups (h). ESC embryonic stem cell, IL interleukin, regDC regulatory dendritic cell, smDC semimature dendritic cell, TGF transforming growth factor