transplantation of intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids with decellularized liver-derived hydrogels supports hepatic cellular proliferation and differentiation in chronic liver injury.

The limited replicative potential of primary hepatocytes (Hep) is a major hurdle for obtaining sufficient quantity and quality hepatocytes during cell therapy in patients with liver failure. Intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids (ICOs) derived from intrahepatic bile ducts differentiate into both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes . Here, we studied effects of transplanting ICOs and Hep in chronic liver injury mice models.

Injectable Hydrogels for Liver: Potential for Clinical Translation.

Injectable hydrogels are a sub-type of hydrogels which can be delivered into the host in a minimally invasive manner. They can act as carriers to encapsulate and deliver cells, drugs or active biomolecules across several disease conditions. Polymers, either synthetic or natural, or even a combination of the two, can be used to create injectable hydrogels.

Secondary bile acids in portal blood contribute to liver regeneration in a rat model of partial hepatectomy.

Gut metabolites via the portal vein affect several liver functions, including regeneration. Here, we investigated gut microbiota-derived metabolites in portal and peripheral serum during liver regeneration. We developed rat models of 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) with and without prior gut microbiota modulation by three-week antibiotic (Abx) treatment.

A decellularized matrix enriched collagen microscaffold for a 3D liver model.

The development of liver scaffolds retaining their three-dimensional (3D) structure and extra-cellular matrix (ECM) composition is essential for the advancement of liver tissue engineering. We report the design and validation of an alginate-based platform using a combination of decellularized matrices and collagen to preserve the functionality of liver cells. The scaffolds were characterized using SEM and fluorescence microscopy techniques.

Liver Extracellular Matrix-Based Nanofiber Scaffolds for the Culture of Primary Hepatocytes and Drug Screening.

Immortalized liver cell lines and primary hepatocytes are currently used as in vitro models for hepatotoxic drug screening. However, a decline in the viability and functionality of hepatocytes with time is an important limitation of these culture models. Advancements in tissue engineering techniques have allowed us to overcome this challenge by designing suitable scaffolds for maintaining viable and functional primary hepatocytes for a longer period of time in culture.

Primary Hepatocyte Isolation and Cultures: Technical Aspects, Challenges and Advancements.

Hepatocytes are differentiated cells that account for 80% of the hepatic volume and perform all major functions of the liver. In vivo, after an acute insult, adult hepatocytes retain their ability to proliferate and participate in liver regeneration. However, in vitro, prolonged culture and proliferation of viable and functional primary hepatocytes have remained the major and the most challenging goal of hepatocyte-based cell therapies and liver tissue engineering.

Evolution of Electrospinning in Liver Tissue Engineering.

The major goal of liver tissue engineering is to reproduce the phenotype and functions of liver cells, especially primary hepatocytes ex vivo. Several strategies have been explored in the recent past for culturing the liver cells in the most apt environment using biological scaffolds supporting hepatocyte growth and differentiation. Nanofibrous scaffolds have been widely used in the field of tissue engineering for their increased surface-to-volume ratio and increased porosity, and their close resemblance with the native tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) environment.

Chemically Modified Dipeptide Based Hydrogel Supports Three-Dimensional Growth and Functions of Primary Hepatocytes.

A huge shortage of organ donors, particularly in the case of liver, has necessitated the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. Primary hepatocytes (pHCs) transplantation has made a considerable transition from bench to bedside, but the short-term viability and functionality of pHCs in in vitro limit their use for clinical applications. Different cell culture strategies are required to maintain the proliferation of pHCs for extended periods.

Non-matrigel scaffolds for organoid cultures.

Organoids are three-dimensional cell cultures mostly from tissue-resident or embryonic stem cells (one or multiple) on hydrogels along with defined growth factors. Currently, matrigel is the most commonly employed matrix for 3D organoid cultures. However, certain undesirable attributes of matrigel have paved the way for several other natural and synthetic hydrogel scaffolds for organoid cultures.