The invention provides a monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes
proliferative human hepatocytes, a method for isolating proliferative
human hepatocytes by using the antibody, and a method for inducing to
differentiate the proliferative human hepatocytes to functional human
hepatocytes. Further, the invention provides the proliferative human
hepatocytes and functional human hepatocytes obtained by the methods, as
well as a cell kit and a hybrid artificial liver comprising those
hepatocytes.