A bioartificial liver device based on three-dimensional culture of genetically engineered hepatoma cells using hollow fibers

Old age as a risk factor for liver diseases: Modern therapeutic approaches

Recent scientific interest has been directed towards age-related diseases, driven by the significant increase in global life expectancy and the growing population of individuals aged 65 and above. The ageing process encompasses various biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioural, and social changes, leading to an augmented susceptibility to chronic illnesses. Cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, liver and oncological diseases are prevalent in the elderly. Moreover, ageing individuals demonstrate reduced regenerative capacity and decreased tolerance towards therapeutic interventions, including organ transplantation. Liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, have emerged as significant public health concerns. Paradoxically, these conditions remain underestimated despite their substantial global impact. Age-related factors are closely associated with the severity and unfavorable prognosis of various liver diseases, warranting further investigation to enhance clinical management and develop novel therapeutic strategies. This comprehensive review focuses specifically on age-related liver diseases, their treatment strategies, and contemporary practices. It provides a detailed account of the global burden, types, molecular mechanisms, and epigenetic alterations underlying these liver pathologies.

Optimization of decellularized liver matrix-modified chitosan fibrous scaffold for C3A hepatocyte culture

Hepatocyte scaffold is an essential part in bioartificial liver device. We have designed a novel hepatocyte scaffold based on porcine liver extracellular matrix (ECM) and chitosan (CTS) fabrics. This CTS-ECM scaffold can improve cell adhesion and proliferation. In the present study, an orthogonal test was designed to optimize the CTS/ECM composite scaffold, in which ECM concentration, EDC concentration and EDC to NHS ratio were taken as factors, proportion of nitrogen element and hydroxyproline content as indicators. The cytocompatibility of the novel scaffold for C3A hepatocytes was analyzed in vitro. The orthogonal test demonstrated that the optimal scaffold should be based on ECM concentration of 5 mg/mL, EDC concentration of 5 mg/mL, and EDC to NHS ratio 1:1. C3A hepatocytes cultured on the optimized CTS-ECM scaffolds showed stronger proliferation and functionality than those on Cytodex3 microcarriers (p < 0.05). The CTS/ECM composite scaffold may be widely used as a promising hepatocyte culture carrier, especially in bioartificial liver support systems.

Development of a genetically modified hepatoma cell line with heat-inducible high liver function

Hepatoma cells are a promising cell source for the construction of bioartificial liver (BAL) systems owing to their high proliferative capability. However, their low liver function compared with primary hepatocytes is a major problem. In a previous study, we established a genetically modified hepatoma cell line, Hepa/8F5, in which eight liver-enriched transcription factor (LETF) genes were transduced into mouse hepatoma Hepa1-6 cells using a drug-inducible transactivator system. These cells proliferate actively under normal culture conditions, meaning that large quantities can be prepared easily. When the overexpression of the LETFs is induced by the addition of an inducer drug, cell growth stops and cell morphology changes with concomitant high expression of liver functions. However, the liver functions largely depend on the presence of the inducer drug, which must be continuously added to maintain these enhanced functions. In the present study, we attempted to modify the method of induction of LETF overexpression in Hepa/8F5 cells to remove the requirement for continual drug addition. To this end, we constructed a system in which the artificial transactivator was transcribed and amplified under the control of a heat-shock protein promoter, and introduced the system into the genome of Hepa/8F5 cells. In our modified cell line, heat-triggered LETF expression was confirmed to induce high liver function. After drug-screening of transfected cells, we established a hepatoma cell line (Hepa/HS), which exhibited high, heat-inducible liver functions. The Hepa/HS cells may represent a new cell source for hepatic studies such as the construction of BAL systems.

Supplementary Information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10616-021-00457-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.