Evidence mapPaperPMID 41836294Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cell and developmental biology2026

DPP4 inhibition affects metabolism and inflammation associated pathways in hiPSC-derived steatotic HLCs.

Christiane Loerch, Wasco Wruck, Annika Wittich, Rabea Hokamp, Julian Reiss, Ole Pless, James Adjaye, Nina Graffmann

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Article in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Christiane LoerchInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Wasco WruckInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Annika WittichFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany.
Rabea HokampInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Julian ReissInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ole PlessFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany.
James AdjayeInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Nina GraffmannInstitute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MAFLD) has a high prevalence and high comorbidity for other diseases. Due to the complexity of this multifactorial disease, therapy options are still rather limited. We employed an Methods: We induced the steatosis phenotype in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) by oleic acid (OA) feeding and confirmed regulation of clinically relevant pathways by NGS-based global transcriptomic analyses. Analysis of the secretome of steatotic HLCs revealed DPP4 as a potential key mediator of the disease. To further elucidate its role in the development of MAFLD, we inhibited DPP4 activity with vildagliptin (VILDA) and analyzed the global transcriptomic changes and specific gene and protein gene expression of steatosis-associated genes with and without DPP4 inhibition. Results: MAFLD-associated pathways such as PPAR and TNF signaling were differentially regulated in hiPSC-derived steatotic HLCs. We found increased hepatic DPP4 activity and secretion upon OA feeding. Gene expression of fatty acid and purine metabolism and inflammation-associated pathways was regulated upon DPP4 inhibition. Discussion: Our HLC model confirmed the association of DPP4 with metabolism and inflammation, which foster the development of MAFLD. Inhibiting DPP4 activity with VILDA partially relieved the steatotic phenotype on a global transcriptomic level. Impact and implications: Given the difficulties of identifying suitable anti-MAFLD drugs, novel model systems are urgently needed. Our

Indexed as

diabetesdipeptidyl peptidase 4hepatocyte-like cellshuman induced pluripotent stem cellsMAFLD/MASLDvildagliptin

Identifiers

PMID41836294
PMCPMC12979448

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.