Engineering Liver Microtissues for Disease Modeling and Regenerative Medicine

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2020-10, Vol.30 (44), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Huang, Dantong (Danielle), Gibeley, Sarah B., Xu, Cong, Xiao, Yang, Celik, Ozgenur, Ginsberg, Henry N., Leong, Kam W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biomaterials; Bioreactors; Liver; liver microtissues; Materials science; microenvironments; Microfluidics; Nutrients; Optimization; Physical properties; Regenerative medicine; Scaffolds; Stem cells; Three dimensional printing; Tissue engineering
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201909553

The burden of liver diseases is increasing worldwide, accounting for two million deaths annually. In the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in the basic and translational research of liver tissue engineering. Liver microtissues are small, 3D hepatocyte cultures that recapitulate liver physiology and have been used in biomedical research and regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the recent advances, challenges, and future directions in liver microtissue research. Cellular engineering approaches are used to sustain primary hepatocytes or produce hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells and other adult tissues. 3D microtissues are generated using scaffold‐free assembly or scaffold‐assisted methods such as macroencapsulation, droplet microfluidics, and bioprinting. Optimization of the hepatic microenvironment entails incorporating the appropriate cell composition for enhanced cell–cell interactions and niche‐specific signals, and creating scaffolds with desired chemical, mechanical, and physical properties. Perfusion‐based culture systems such as bioreactors and microfluidic systems are used to achieve efficient exchange of nutrients and soluble factors. Taken together, systematic optimization of liver microtissues is a multidisciplinary effort focused on creating liver cultures and on‐chip models with greater structural complexity and physiological relevance for use in liver disease research, therapeutic development, and regenerative medicine. Liver microtissues are 3D hepatocyte cultures that recapitulate liver physiology and have been used for disease modeling, therapeutic development, and regenerative medicine. This review discusses the advances, challenges, and future directions in liver microtissue research. A variety of engineering approaches are used to produce hepatocytes and grow them in 3D microtissues to create more structurally complex, physiologically relevant models.