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3D human liver tissue from pluripotent stem cells displays stable phenotype in vitro and supports compromised liver function in vivo.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Rashidi, Hassan 
Luu, Nguyet-Thin 
Alwahsh, Salamah M 
Ginai, Maaria 
Alhaque, Sharmin 

Abstract

Liver disease is an escalating global health issue. While liver transplantation is an effective mode of therapy, patient mortality has increased due to the shortage of donor organs. Developing renewable sources of human liver tissue is therefore attractive. Pluripotent stem cell-derived liver tissue represents a potential alternative to cadaver derived hepatocytes and whole organ transplant. At present, two-dimensional differentiation procedures deliver tissue lacking certain functions and long-term stability. Efforts to overcome these limiting factors have led to the building of three-dimensional (3D) cellular aggregates. Although enabling for the field, their widespread application is limited due to their reliance on variable biological components. Our studies focused on the development of 3D liver tissue under defined conditions. In vitro generated 3D tissues exhibited stable phenotype for over 1 year in culture, providing an attractive resource for long-term in vitro studies. Moreover, 3D derived tissue provided critical liver support in two animal models, including immunocompetent recipients. Therefore, we believe that our study provides stable human tissue to better model liver biology 'in the dish', and in the future may permit the support of compromised liver function in humans.

Description

Keywords

Implantable liver graft, Interdisciplinary research, Liver tissue, Pluripotent stem cell, Stable cell phenotype, Animals, Cell Culture Techniques, Cell Differentiation, Endoderm, Female, Hepatectomy, Humans, Liver, Liver Transplantation, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Pluripotent Stem Cells, Spheroids, Cellular, Time Factors, Tissue Engineering, Tissue Scaffolds

Journal Title

Arch Toxicol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0340-5761
1432-0738

Volume Title

92

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MR/L022974/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12009)
National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC/N001540/1)