Galactosylated cellulosic sponge for multi-well drug safety testing

The progressive trend of modeling and drug screening systems of breast cancer bone metastasis

Bone metastasis is considered as a considerable challenge for breast cancer patients. Various in vitro and in vivo models have been developed to examine this occurrence. In vitro models are employed to simulate the intricate tumor microenvironment, investigate the interplay between cells and their adjacent microenvironment, and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for tumors. The endeavor to replicate the latency period of bone metastasis in animal models has presented a challenge, primarily due to the necessity of primary tumor removal and the presence of multiple potential metastatic sites.The utilization of novel bone metastasis models, including three-dimensional (3D) models, has been proposed as a promising approach to overcome the constraints associated with conventional 2D and animal models. However, existing 3D models are limited by various factors, such as irregular cellular proliferation, autofluorescence, and changes in genetic and epigenetic expression. The imperative for the advancement of future applications of 3D models lies in their standardization and automation. The utilization of artificial intelligence exhibits the capability to predict cellular behavior through the examination of substrate materials' chemical composition, geometry, and mechanical performance. The implementation of these algorithms possesses the capability to predict the progression and proliferation of cancer. This paper reviewed the mechanisms of bone metastasis following primary breast cancer. Current models of breast cancer bone metastasis, along with their challenges, as well as the future perspectives of using these models for translational drug development, were discussed.

Three Dimensional Bioprinting for Hepatic Tissue Engineering: From In Vitro Models to Clinical Applications

Fabrication of functional organs is the holy grail of tissue engineering and the possibilities of repairing a partial or complete liver to treat chronic liver disorders are discussed in this review. Liver is the largest gland in the human body and plays a responsible role in majority of metabolic function and processes. Chronic liver disease is one of the leading causes of death globally and the current treatment strategy of organ transplantation holds its own demerits. Hence there is a need to develop an in vitro liver model that mimics the native microenvironment. The developed model should be a reliable to understand the pathogenesis, screen drugs and assist to repair and replace the damaged liver. The three-dimensional bioprinting is a promising technology that recreates in vivo alike in vitro model for transplantation, which is the goal of tissue engineers. The technology has great potential due to its precise control and its ability to homogeneously distribute cells on all layers in a complex structure. This review gives an overview of liver tissue engineering with a special focus on 3D bioprinting and bioinks for liver disease modelling and drug screening.

Application of three-dimensional cell culture technology in screening anticancer drugs

The drug development process involves a variety of drug activity evaluations, which can determine drug efficacy, strictly analyze the biological indicators after the drug action, and use these indicators as the preclinical drug evaluation criteria. At present, most of the screening of preclinical anticancer drugs mainly relies on traditional 2D cell culture. However, this traditional technology cannot simulate the tumor microenvironment in vivo, let alone reflect the characteristics of solid tumors in vivo, and has a relatively poor ability to predict drug activity. 3D cell culture is a technology between 2D cell culture and animal experiments, which can better reflect the biological state in vivo and reduce the consumption of animal experiments. 3D cell culture can link the individual study of cells with the study of the whole organism, reproduce in vitro the biological phenotype of cells in vivo more greatly, and thus predict the activity and resistance of anti-tumor drugs more accurately. In this paper, the common techniques of 3D cell culture are discussed, with emphasis on its main advantages and application in the evaluation of anti-tumor resistance, which can provide strategies for the screening of anti-tumor drugs.

A Change of Heart: Human Cardiac Tissue Engineering as a Platform for Drug Development

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Human cardiac tissue engineering holds great promise for early detection of drug-related cardiac toxicity and arrhythmogenicity during drug discovery and development. We describe shortcomings of the current drug development pathway, recent advances in the development of cardiac tissue constructs as drug testing platforms, and the challenges remaining in their widespread adoption.

RECENT FINDINGS

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have been used to develop a variety of constructs including cardiac spheroids, microtissues, strips, rings, and chambers. Several ambitious studies have used these constructs to test a significant number of drugs, and while most have shown proper negative inotropic and arrhythmogenic responses, few have been able to demonstrate positive inotropy, indicative of relative hPSC-CM immaturity. Several engineered human cardiac tissue platforms have demonstrated native cardiac physiology and proper drug responses. Future studies addressing hPSC-CM immaturity and inclusion of patient-specific cell lines will further advance the utility of such models for in vitro drug development.

Scaffold-based and scaffold-free cardiac constructs for drug testing

The safety and therapeutic efficacy of new drugs are tested in experimental animals. However, besides being a laborious, costly process, differences in drug responses between humans and other animals and potential cardiac adverse effects lead to the discontinued development of new drugs. Thus, alternative approaches to animal tests are needed. Cardiotoxicity and responses of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to drugs are conventionally evaluated by cell seeding and two-dimensional (2D) culture, which allows measurements of field potential duration and the action potentials of CMs using multielectrode arrays. However, 2D-cultured hiPSC-CMs lack 3D spatial adhesion, and have fewer intercellular and extracellular matrix interactions, as well as different contractile behavior from CMsin vivo. This issue has been addressed using tissue engineering to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) cardiac constructs from hiPSC-CMs culturedin vitro. Tissue engineering can be categorized as scaffold-based and scaffold-free. In scaffold-based tissue engineering, collagen and fibrin gel scaffolds comprise a 3D culture environment in which seeded cells exhibit cardiac-specific functions and drug responses, whereas 3D cardiac constructs fabricated by tissue engineering without a scaffold have high cell density and form intercellular interactions. This review summarizes the characteristics of scaffold-based and scaffold-free cardiac tissue engineering and discusses the applications of fabricated cardiac constructs to drug screening.

Emerging technologies provide insights on cancer extracellular matrix biology and therapeutics

Recent engineering technologies have transformed traditional perspectives of cancer to include the important role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in recapitulating the malignant behaviors of cancer cells. Novel biomaterials and imaging technologies have advanced our understanding of the role of ECM density, structure, mechanics, and remodeling in tumor cell-ECM interactions in cancer biology and have provided new approaches in the development of cancer therapeutics. Here, we review emerging technologies in cancer ECM biology and recent advances in engineered systems for evaluating cancer therapeutics and provide new perspectives on how engineering tools present an opportunity for advancing the modeling and treatment of cancer. This review offers the cell biology and cancer cell biology communities insight into how engineering tools can improve our understanding of cancer ECM biology and therapeutic development.

Bioengineered Liver Cell Models of Hepatotropic Infections

Hepatitis viruses and liver-stage malaria are within the liver infections causing higher morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. The highly restricted tropism of the major human hepatotropic pathogens-namely, the human hepatitis B and C viruses and the Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasites-has hampered the development of disease models. These models are crucial for uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the biology of infection and governing host-pathogen interaction, as well as for fostering drug development. Bioengineered cell models better recapitulate the human liver microenvironment and extend hepatocyte viability and phenotype in vitro, when compared with conventional two-dimensional cell models. In this article, we review the bioengineering tools employed in the development of hepatic cell models for studying infection, with an emphasis on 3D cell culture strategies, and discuss how those tools contributed to the level of recapitulation attained in the different model layouts. Examples of host-pathogen interactions uncovered by engineered liver models and their usefulness in drug development are also presented. Finally, we address the current bottlenecks, trends, and prospect toward cell models' reliability, robustness, and reproducibility.

Three-Dimensional Macroporous Sponge for the Culture of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patient-Derived Xenograft Organoids

This protocol focuses on the culture of cells harvested from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) as organoids using a cellulosic macroporous sponge scaffold. Compared with many other epithelial cancer types, the viability of HCC cells directly derived from patients or PDX models is notoriously challenging to maintain in vitro. We previously developed a macroporous sponge scaffold uniquely designed to provide biochemical and mechanical cues that support the culture of normal hepatocytes as spheroids with maintained functionality. Leveraging our success using this sponge scaffold to maintain normal hepatocytes in vitro, we recently demonstrated that a similar sponge scaffold enables the maintenance of HCC PDX cells as organoids with preserved viability, molecular features, and heterogeneity.

Biomaterial-based cell delivery strategies to promote liver regeneration

Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis is a widespread and untreatable condition that leads to lifelong impairment and eventual death. The scarcity of liver transplantation options requires the development of new strategies to attenuate disease progression and reestablish liver function by promoting regeneration. Biomaterials are becoming an increasingly promising option to both culture and deliver cells to support in vivo viability and long-term function. There is a wide variety of both natural and synthetic biomaterials that are becoming established as delivery vehicles with their own unique advantages and disadvantages for liver regeneration. We review the latest developments in cell transplantation strategies to promote liver regeneration, with a focus on the use of both natural and synthetic biomaterials for cell culture and delivery. We conclude that future work will need to refine the use of these biomaterials and combine them with novel strategies that recapitulate liver organization and function in order to translate this strategy to clinical use.

Engineering liver microtissues for disease modeling and regenerative medicine

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, three-dimensional hepatocyte cultures that recapitulate liver physiology and have been used in biomedical research and regenerative medicine. This review summarizes 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. Three-dimensional microtissues are generated by 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.

Drug response analysis for scaffold-free cardiac constructs fabricated using bio-3D printer

Cardiac constructs fabricated using human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSCs-CMs) are useful for evaluating the cardiotoxicity of and cardiac response to new drugs. Previously, we fabricated scaffold-free three-dimensional (3D) tubular cardiac constructs using a bio-3D printer, which can load cardiac spheroids onto a needle array. In this study, we developed a method to measure the contractile force and to evaluate the drug response in cardiac constructs. Specifically, we measured the movement of the needle tip upon contraction of the cardiac constructs on the needle array. The contractile force and beating rate of the cardiac constructs were evaluated by analysing changes in the movement of the needle tip. To evaluate the drug response, contractile properties were measured following treatment with isoproterenol, propranolol, or blebbistatin, in which the movement of the needle tip was increased following isoproterenol treatment, but was decreased following propranolol or blebbistain, treatments. To evaluate cardiotoxicity, contraction and cell viability of the cardiac constructs were measured following doxorubicin treatment. Cell viability was found to decrease with decreasing movement of the needle tip following doxorubicin treatment. Collectively, our results show that this method can aid in evaluating the contractile force of cardiac constructs.

Tethered primary hepatocyte spheroids on polystyrene multi-well plates for high-throughput drug safety testing

Hepatocyte spheroids are useful models for mimicking liver phenotypes in vitro because of their three-dimensionality. However, the lack of a biomaterial platform which allows the facile manipulation of spheroid cultures on a large scale severely limits their application in automated high-throughput drug safety testing. In addition, there is not yet a robust way of controlling spheroid size, homogeneity and integrity during extended culture. This work addresses these bottlenecks to the automation of hepatocyte spheroid culture by tethering 3D hepatocyte spheroids directly onto surface-modified polystyrene (PS) multi-well plates. However, polystyrene surfaces are inert toward functionalization, and this makes the uniform conjugation of bioactive ligands very challenging. Surface modification of polystyrene well plates is achieved herein using a three-step sequence, resulting in a homogeneous distribution of bioactive RGD and galactose ligands required for spheroid tethering and formation. Importantly, treatment of polystyrene tethered spheroids with vehicle and paradigm hepatotoxicant (chlorpromazine) treatment using an automated liquid handling platform shows low signal deviation, intact 3D spheroidal morphology and Z’ values above 0.5, and hence confirming their amenability to high-throughput automation. Functional analyses performance (i.e. urea and albumin production, cytochrome P450 activity and induction studies) of the polystyrene tethered spheroids reveal significant improvements over hepatocytes cultured as collagen monolayers. This is the first demonstration of automated hepatotoxicant treatment on functional 3D hepatocyte spheroids tethered directly on polystyrene multi-well plates, and will serve as an important advancement in the application of 3D tethered spheroid models to high throughput drug screening.

Liver Tissue Engineering as an Emerging Alternative for Liver Disease Treatment

Chronic liver diseases affect thousands of lives throughout the world every year. The shortage of liver donors for transplantation has been the main driving force to employ alternative methods such as liver tissue engineering (LTE) in fabricating a three-dimensional transplantable liver tissue or enhancing cell delivery techniques alleviating the need for liver donors. LTE consists of three components, cells, ECM (extracellular matrix), and signaling molecules, which we discuss the first and second. The three most common cell sources used in LTE are human and animal primary hepatocytes, and stem cells for different applications. Two major categories of ECM are used to mimic the microenvironment of these cells, named scaffolds and microbeads. Scaffolds have been made by numerous methods with a wide range of synthetic and natural biomaterials. Cell encapsulation has also been utilized by many polymeric biomaterials. To investigate their functions, many properties have been discussed in the literature, such as biochemical, geometrical, and mechanical properties, in both of these categories. Overall, LTE shows excellent potential in assisting hepatic disorders. However, some challenges exist that prevent the practical use of it clinically, making LTE an ongoing research subject in the scientific society.

Generation of insulin-secreting cells from mouse gallbladder stem cells by small molecules in vitro

Background

Stem cell-derived pancreatic β-like cells hold great promise for treating diabetes. Gallbladder belongs to the extrahepatic bile duct system and possesses stem-like cells. These stem cells could be expanded in vitro and have the potential of differentiating into hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, or pancreatic cells. As the gallbladder is highly available, gallbladder stem cells provide a new cell source of pancreatic β-like cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate an approach for the generation of pancreatic β-like cells from gallbladder stem cells (GSCs) without genetic modification.

Methods

A CK19Cre^ERT;Rosa26R-GFP mouse was used to isolate CK19⁺ cells, which represented EpCAM⁺ stem cells in the gallbladder. They were cultured in the modified Kubota’s medium for expansion and further analyzed. Then, we developed a strategy to screen a combination of small molecules that can generate insulin-secreting cells from gallbladder stem cells. These cells were identified with markers of pancreatic cells. Finally, they were seeded into the cellulosic sponge and transplanted to the diabetic mice for functional examination in vivo.

Results

Gallbladder stem cells could be expanded for more than 15 passages. They expressed typical hepatic stem cell markers including CK19, EpCAM, Sox9, and albumin. By screening method, we found that adding Noggin, FR180204, and cyclopamine could efficiently induce gallbladder stem cells differentiating into insulin-secreting cells. These cells expressed Pdx1, Nkx6.1, and insulin but were negative for Gcg. After transplantation with the cellulosic sponge, they could ameliorate hyperglycemia in the diabetic mice.

Conclusion

This study provides a new approach which can generate insulin-secreting cells from the gallbladder without genetic modification. This offers an option for β cell therapy in treating type 1 diabetes.

Hepatic spheroids used as an in vitro model to study malaria relapse

Hypnozoites are the liver stage non-dividing form of the malaria parasite that are responsible for relapse and acts as a natural reservoir for human malaria Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale as well as a phylogenetically related simian malaria P. cynomolgi. Our understanding of hypnozoite biology remains limited due to the technical challenge of requiring the use of primary hepatocytes and the lack of robust and predictive in vitro models. In this study, we developed a malaria liver stage model using 3D spheroid-cultured primary hepatocytes. The infection of primary hepatocytes in suspension led to increased infectivity of both P. cynomolgi and P. vivax infections. We demonstrated that this hepatic spheroid model was capable of maintaining long term viability, hepatocyte specific functions and cell polarity which enhanced permissiveness and thus, permitting for the complete development of both P. cynomolgi and P. vivax liver stage parasites in the infected spheroids. The model described here was able to capture the full liver stage cycle starting with sporozoites and ending in the release of hepatic merozoites capable of invading simian erythrocytes in vitro. Finally, we showed that this system can be used for compound screening to discriminate between causal prophylactic and cidal antimalarials activity in vitro for relapsing malaria.

Engineered materials to model human intestinal development and cancer using organoids

Human organoids provide constructive in vitro models of human development and disease, as these recapitulate important morphogenetic and functional features of the tissue and species of origin. However, organoid culture technologies often involve the use of biologically-derived materials (e.g. Matrigel™) that do not allow dissection of the independent contributions of the biochemical and biophysical matrix properties to organoid development. Additionally, their inherent lot-to-lot variability and, in the case of Matrigel™, tumor-derived nature limits their applicability as platforms for drug and tissue transplantation therapies. Here, we highlight recent studies that overcome these limitations through engineering of novel biomaterial platforms that (1) allow to study the independent contributions of physicochemical matrix properties to organoid development and their potential for translational therapies, and (2) better recreate the tumor microenvironment for high-throughput, pre-clinical drug development. These studies illustrate how innovative biomaterial constructs can contribute to the modeling of human development and disease using organoids, and as platforms for development of organoid-based therapies. Finally, we discuss the current limitations of the organoid field and how they can potentially be addressed using engineered biomaterials.

Datasets describing the growth and molecular features of hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived xenograft cells grown in a three-dimensional macroporous hydrogel

This data article presents datasets associated with the research article entitled “Generation of matched patient-derived xenograft in vitro–in vivo models using 3D macroporous hydrogels for the study of liver cancer” (Fong et al., 2018) [1]. A three-dimensional macroporous sponge system was used to generate in vitro counterparts to various hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived xenograft (HCC-PDX) lines. This article describes the viability, proliferative capacity and molecular features (genomic and transcriptomic profiles) of the cultured HCC-PDX cells. The sequencing datasets are made publicly available to enable critical or further analyzes.

Generation of matched patient-derived xenograft in vitro-in vivo models using 3D macroporous hydrogels for the study of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide, often manifesting at the advanced stage when cure is no longer possible. The discrepancy between preclinical findings and clinical outcome in HCC is well-recognized. So far, sorafenib is the only targeted therapy approved as first-line therapy for patients with advanced HCC. There is an urgent need for improved preclinical models for the development of HCC-targeted therapies. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models have been shown to closely recapitulate human tumor biology and predict patient drug response. However, the use of PDX models is currently limited by high costs and low throughput. In this study, we engineered in vitro conditions conducive for the culture of HCC-PDX organoids derived from a panel of 14 different HCC-PDX lines through the use of a three-dimensional macroporous cellulosic sponge system. To validate the in vitro HCC-PDX models, both in vivo and in vitro HCC-PDX models were subjected to whole exome sequencing and RNA-sequencing. Correlative studies indicate strong concordance in genomic and transcriptomic profiles as well as intra-tumoral heterogeneity between each matched in vitro-in vivo HCC-PDX pairs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of using these in vitro HCC-PDX models for drug testing, paving the way for more efficient preclinical studies in HCC drug development.

Emerging tumor spheroids technologies for 3D in vitro cancer modeling

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Around 90% of deaths are caused by metastasis and just 10% by primary tumor. The advancement of treatment approaches is not at the same rhythm of the disease; making cancer a focal target of biomedical research. To enhance the understanding and prompts the therapeutic delivery; concepts of tissue engineering are applied in the development of in vitro models that can bridge between 2D cell culture and animal models, mimicking tissue microenvironment. Tumor spheroid represents highly suitable 3D organoid-like framework elucidating the intra and inter cellular signaling of cancer, like that formed in physiological niche. However, spheroids are of limited value in studying critical biological phenomenon such as tumor-stroma interactions involving extra cellular matrix or immune system. Therefore, a compelling need of tailoring spheroid technologies with physiologically relevant biomaterials or in silico models, is ever emerging. The diagnostic and prognostic role of spheroids rearrangements within biomaterials or microfluidic channel is indicative of patient management; particularly for the decision of targeted therapy. Fragmented information on available in vitro spheroid models and lack of critical analysis on transformation aspects of these strategies; pushes the urge to comprehensively overview the recent technological advancements (e.g. bioprinting, micro-fluidic technologies or use of biomaterials to attain the third dimension) in the shed of translationable cancer research. In present article, relationships between current models and their possible exploitation in clinical success is explored with the highlight of existing challenges in defining therapeutic targets and screening of drug efficacy.

Physicochemical properties of ionic and non-ionic biocompatible hydrogels in water and cell culture conditions: Relation with type of morphologies of bovine fetal fibroblasts in contact with the surfaces

Cationic, anionic and non-ionic hydrogels having acrylamide polymer backbones were synthesized via free radical polymerization with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) as crosslinker. The chemical structures of the hydrogels were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Physicochemical properties such as swelling kinetic, maximum swelling capacity, volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) and wettability (static water contact angle) of hydrogels swollen in aqueous and cell culture medium, at room and cell culture temperatures were studied. In order to correlate the surface properties of the hydrogels and cellular adhesivity of bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFFs), cellular behaviour was analyzed by inverted fluorescence optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). MTT assay demonstrated that the number of viable cells in contact with hydrogels does not significantly change in comparison to a control surface. Flattened and spindle-shaped cells and cell spheroids were the adopted morphologies during first days of culture on different hydrogels. Cell spheroids were easily obtained during the first 5days of culture in contact with PNIPAM-co-20%HMA (poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-20%N-acryloyl-tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane)) hydrogel surface. After 15days of culture all hydrogels showed high adhesion and visual proliferation. According to obtained results, non-ionic and hydrophilic surfaces with moderated wettability induce the formation of BFFs cell spheroids. These hydrogel surfaces could be used in clinical and biochemical treatments at laboratory level to cell growth and will allow generating the base for future biotechnologic platform.

Primary Hepatocytes Cultured on a Fiber-Embedded PDMS Chip to Study Drug Metabolism

In vitro drug screening using reliable and predictable liver models remains a challenge. The identification of an ideal biological substrate is essential to maintain hepatocyte functions during in vitro culture. Here, we developed a fiber-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip to culture hepatocytes. Hepatocyte spheroids formed in this device were subjected to different flow rates, of which a flow rate of 50 μL/min provided the optimal microenvironment for spheroid formation, maintained significantly higher rates of albumin and urea synthesis, yielded higher CYP3A1 (cytochrome P450 3A1) and CYP2C11 (cytochrome P450 2C11) enzyme activities for metabolism, and demonstrated higher expression levels of liver-specific genes. In vitro metabolism tests on tolbutamide and testosterone by hepatocytes indicated predicted clearance rates of 1.98 ± 0.43 and 40.80 ± 10.13 mL/min/kg, respectively, which showed a good in vitro⁻in vivo correspondence. These results indicate that this system provides a strategy for the construction of functional engineered liver tissue that can be used to study drug metabolism.

A vertical-flow bioreactor array compacts hepatocytes for enhanced polarity and functions

Although hepatocytes in vivo experience intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), pressure is typically not incorporated in hepatocyte culture systems. The cuboidal cell shape and extent of intercellular contact between cultured hepatocytes are critical parameters that influence the differentiated hepatic phenotype. Using a microfluidic device, the application of pressure to artificially compact cells and forge cell-cell interactions was previously demonstrated to be effective in accelerating hepatic repolarization. In seeking to implement this approach to higher throughput culture platforms for potential drug screening applications, we specifically designed a vertical-flow compaction bioreactor array (VCBA) that compacts hepatocytes within the range of IAP and portal pressure in vivo in a multi-well setup. As a result of vertical perfusion-generated forces, hepatocytes not only exhibited accelerated repolarization, an in vivo-like cuboidal morphology, but also better maintained hepatic functions in long-term culture as compared to the same cells cultured under static conditions. As a novel engineering tool to modulate cell compaction and intercellular interactions, this platform is a promising approach to confer tight control over hepatocyte repolarization for in vitro culture.

Heralding a new paradigm in 3D tumor modeling

Numerous studies to date have contributed to a paradigm shift in modeling cancer, moving from the traditional two-dimensional culture system to three-dimensional (3D) culture systems for cancer cell culture. This led to the inception of tumor engineering, which has undergone rapid advances over the years. In line with the recognition that tumors are not merely masses of proliferating cancer cells but rather, highly complex tissues consisting of a dynamic extracellular matrix together with stromal, immune and endothelial cells, significant efforts have been made to better recapitulate the tumor microenvironment in 3D. These approaches include the development of engineered matrices and co-cultures to replicate the complexity of tumor-stroma interactions in vitro. However, the tumor engineering and cancer biology fields have traditionally relied heavily on the use of cancer cell lines as a cell source in tumor modeling. While cancer cell lines have contributed to a wealth of knowledge in cancer biology, the use of this cell source is increasingly perceived as a major contributing factor to the dismal failure rate of oncology drugs in drug development. Backing this notion is the increasing evidence that tumors possess intrinsic heterogeneity, which predominantly homogeneous cancer cell lines poorly reflect. Tumor heterogeneity contributes to therapeutic resistance in patients. To overcome this limitation, cancer cell lines are beginning to be replaced by primary tumor cell sources, in the form of patient-derived xenografts and organoids cultures. Moving forward, we propose that further advances in tumor engineering would require that tumor heterogeneity (tumor variants) be taken into consideration together with tumor complexity (tumor-stroma interactions). In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of what has been achieved in recapitulating tumor complexity, and discuss the importance of incorporating tumor heterogeneity into 3D in vitro tumor models. This work carves out the roadmap for 3D tumor engineering and highlights some of the challenges that need to be addressed as we move forward into the next chapter.

Micropatterned coculture of hepatocytes on electrospun fibers as a potential in vitro model for predictive drug metabolism

The liver is the major organ of importance to determine drug dispositions in the body, thus the development of hepatocyte culture systems is of great scientific and practical interests to provide reliable and predictable models for in vitro drug screening. In the current study, to address the challenges of a rapid function loss of primary hepatocytes, the coculture of hepatocytes with fibroblasts and endothelial cells (Hep-Fib-EC) was established on micropatterned fibrous scaffolds. Liver-specific functions, such as the albumin secretion and urea synthesis, were well maintained in the coculture system, accompanied by a rapid formation of multicellular hepatocyte spheroids. The activities of phase I (CYP3A11 and CYP2C9) and phase II enzymes indicated a gradual increase for cocultured hepatocytes, and a maximum level was achieved after 5 days and maintained throughout 15 days of culture. The metabolism testing on model drugs indicated that the scaled clearance rates for hepatocytes in the Hep-Fib-EC coculture system were significantly higher than those of other culture methods, and a linear regression analysis indicated good correlations between the observed data of rats and in vitro predicted values during 15 days of culture. In addition, the enzyme activities and drug clearance rates of hepatocytes in the Hep-Fib-EC coculture model experienced sensitive responsiveness to the inducers and inhibitors of metabolizing enzymes. These results demonstrated the feasibility of micropatterned coculture of hepatocytes as a potential in vitro testing model for the prediction of in vivo drug metabolism.

Spheroid culture of primary hepatocytes with short fibers as a predictable in vitro model for drug screening

Short fibers are utilized as scaffolds for generation of size-controlled hepatocyte spheroids, exhibiting an efficient in vitro model for determining drug metabolism.

Thermo-responsive polymer aided spheroid culture in cryogel based platform for high throughput drug screening

A versatile and widely applicable cryogel-based high throughput platform for spheroid culture in the presence of a thermo-responsive polymer and drug screening.

Hepatocyte spheroid culture on fibrous scaffolds with grafted functional ligands as an in vitro model for predicting drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity

The identification of a biologic substrate for maintaining hepatocyte functions is essential to provide reliable and predictable models for in vitro drug screening. In the current study, a three-dimensional culture of hepatocytes was established on highly porous fibrous scaffolds with grafted galactose and RGD to afford extensive cell-cell and cell-scaffold interactions spatially. The pore size and ligand densities indicated significant effects on the formation of hepatocyte spheroids in balancing the cell retention, adhesion, and migration on fibrous scaffolds. Fibrous scaffolds with an average pore size of 60 μm and surface grafting densities of galactose at 5.9 nmol/cm(2) and RGD at 6.9 pmol/cm(2) provided optimal microenvironments for hepatocyte infiltration and multicellular spheroid formation. Significant promotions were also demonstrated in the syntheses of albumin and urea and the activities of phase I (CYP 3A11 and CYP 2C9) and phase II enzymes. The in vitro metabolism tests on testosterone and acetaminophen by hepatocytes on the optimal scaffolds indicated the predicated clearance rates of 50.7 and 22.6 ml/min/kg, respectively, which were comparable to the in vivo values of rats. The in vitro hepatotoxicity tests on amiodarone hydrochloride and acetaminophen predicted the half maximal effective concentrations (EC50) to reflect the in vivo toxic plasma concentrations in human. In addition, the enzyme activities, predicted clearance rates and hepatotoxicity values of hepatocytes on the optimal scaffolds experienced sensitive responsiveness to specific inducers or inhibitors of CYP 3A11 and phase II enzymes, exhibiting in vivo-in vitro correlations to a certain extent. These results demonstrate the feasibility of hepatocyte spheroid culture on fibrous scaffolds as an potential in vitro testing model to predict the in vivo drug metabolism, hepatotoxicity, and drug-drug interactions.

Engineering cancer microenvironments for in vitro 3-D tumor models

The natural microenvironment of tumors is composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), blood vasculature, and supporting stromal cells. The physical characteristics of ECM as well as the cellular components play a vital role in controlling cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, and differentiation. To mimic the tumor microenvironment outside the human body for drug testing, two-dimensional (2-D) and murine tumor models are routinely used. Although these conventional approaches are employed in preclinical studies, they still present challenges. For example, murine tumor models are expensive and difficult to adopt for routine drug screening. On the other hand, 2-D in vitro models are simple to perform, but they do not recapitulate natural tumor microenvironment, because they do not capture important three-dimensional (3-D) cell-cell, cell-matrix signaling pathways, and multi-cellular heterogeneous components of the tumor microenvironment such as stromal and immune cells. The three-dimensional (3-D) in vitro tumor models aim to closely mimic cancer microenvironments and have emerged as an alternative to routinely used methods for drug screening. Herein, we review recent advances in 3-D tumor model generation and highlight directions for future applications in drug testing.

Cost-effective differentiation of hepatocyte-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells using small molecules

Significant efforts have been invested into the differentiation of stem cells into functional hepatocyte-like cells that can be used for cell therapy, disease modeling and drug screening. Most of these efforts have been concentrated on the use of growth factors to recapitulate developmental signals under in vitro conditions. Using small molecules instead of growth factors would provide an attractive alternative since small molecules are cell-permeable and cheaper than growth factors. We have developed a protocol for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells using a predominantly small molecule-based approach (SM-Hep). This 3 step differentiation strategy involves the use of optimized concentrations of LY294002 and bromo-indirubin-3'-oxime (BIO) for the generation of definitive endoderm; sodium butyrate and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for the generation of hepatoblasts and SB431542 for differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells. Activin A is the only growth factor required in this protocol. Our results showed that SM-Hep were morphologically and functionally similar or better compared to the hepatocytes derived from the growth-factor induced differentiation (GF-Hep) in terms of expression of hepatic markers, urea and albumin production and cytochrome P450 (CYP1A2 and CYP3A4) activities. Cell viability assays following treatment with paradigm hepatotoxicants Acetaminophen, Chlorpromazine, Diclofenac, Digoxin, Quinidine and Troglitazone showed that their sensitivity to these drugs was similar to human primary hepatocytes (PHHs). Using SM-Hep would result in 67% and 81% cost reduction compared to GF-Hep and PHHs respectively. Therefore, SM-Hep can serve as a robust and cost effective replacement for PHHs for drug screening and development.

Preparation and characterization of galactosylated alginate-chitosan oligomer microcapsule for hepatocytes microencapsulation

Galactosylated alginate (GA)-chitosan oligomer microcapsule was prepared to provide a sufficient mechanical stability, a selective permeability and an appropriate three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment for hepatocytes microencapsulation. The microcapsule has a unique asymmetric membrane structure, with a dense layer located in the inner surface and gradually decreasing toward the outside surface. The stable microcapsule was obtained when GA lower than 50%, while the permeability was increased with increasing of GA. A balance between mechanical stability and permeability was achieved through modulating membrane porosity and thickness. The optimal microcapsule displays a selective permeability allowing efficient transport of human serum albumin while effectively blocking immunoglobulin G. Hepatocytes exhibited high and long term viability (>92%), proliferability, multicellular spheroid morphology, and enhancement of liver-specific functions in the microcapsule wherein galactose moieties present chemical cues to support cell-matrix interactions while the 3D structure of the microcapsule behaves physical cues to facilitate cell-cell interactions.

Scalable spheroid model of human hepatocytes for hepatitis C infection and replication

Developing effective new drugs against hepatitis C (HCV) virus has been challenging due to the lack of appropriate small animal and in vitro models recapitulating the entire life cycle of the virus. Current in vitro models fail to recapitulate the complexity of human liver physiology. Here we present a method to study HCV infection and replication on spheroid cultures of Huh 7.5 cells and primary human hepatocytes. Spheroid cultures are constructed using a galactosylated cellulosic sponge with homogeneous macroporosity, enabling the formation and maintenance of uniformly sized spheroids. This facilitates easy handling of the tissue-engineered constructs and overcomes limitations inherent of traditional spheroid cultures. Spheroids formed in the galactosylated cellulosic sponge show enhanced hepatic functions in Huh 7.5 cells and maintain liver-specific functions of primary human hepatocytes for 2 weeks in culture. Establishment of apical and basolateral polarity along with the expression and localization of all HCV specific entry proteins allow for a 9-fold increase in viral entry in spheroid cultures over conventional monolayer cultures. Huh 7.5 cells cultured in the galactosylated cellulosic sponge also support replication of the HCV clone, JFH (Japanese fulminant hepatitis)-1 at higher levels than in monolayer cultures. The advantages of our system in maintaining liver-specific functions and allowing HCV infection together with its ease of handling make it suitable for the study of HCV biology in basic research and pharmaceutical R&D.

Galactosylated reversible hydrogels as scaffold for HepG2 spheroid generation

Various galactosylated scaffolds have been developed for hepatocyte culture because galactose ligands help maintain cell viability, facilitate the formation of multicellular spheroids and help maintain a high level of liver-specific functions. However, it is difficult to harvest the cell spheroids generated inside the three-dimensional scaffolds for their further biological analysis and applications. Here we developed a new galactosylated hydrogel scaffold which solidifies in situ upon heating to physiological temperature, but liquefies again upon cooling back to room temperature. The new scaffold is composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Because of the thermosensitivity of PNIPAM microgel, the mixed dispersions gel upon heating and liquefy upon cooling. PEG was added to reduce the shrinkage of the gels. Part of the PNIPAM microgel was replaced with a galactosylated one to provide a series of blend gels with various galactose ligand contents. HepG2 cells, a human hepatocarcinoma cell line, were encapsulated in the in situ-formed gels. As expected, the cell viability increases with increasing content of galactose ligands. In addition, compact multicellular spheroids were obtained in gels containing galactose ligands, while loose spheroids formed in gel without galactose ligands. The cells cultured in galactose-containing gels also exhibit a higher level of liver-specific functions, in terms of both albumin secretion and urea synthesis, than those cultured in gel without these ligands. The new galactosylated scaffold not only promotes the formation of hepatocyte spheroids, but also allows for their harvest. By cooling back to room temperature to liquefy the gel, the hepatocyte spheroids can be facilely harvested from the scaffold. The reversible galactosylated scaffold developed here may be used for large scale fabrication of hepatocyte spheroids.

Off-the-shelf microsponge arrays for facile and efficient construction of miniaturized 3D cellular microenvironments for versatile cell-based assays

The integration of microfabrication and biomaterials enables construction of miniaturized 3D microenvironments with biomimetic micro-architectural and functional features to advance cell-based assays for mechanism investigation of physio/pathology and for prediction of drug responses. However, current biomaterials-assisted constructions of miniaturized 3D cellular microenvironments usually involve cells in the microfabrication process, limiting their wide application in most biomedical labs, where expertise and facilities are not readily available. Here we tackle this challenge by developing off-the-shelf microsponge arrays as pre-formed micro-patterned templates which can separate the microfabrication steps from the cell-handling steps and miniaturize the cell-based assays. The microsponge arrays with tailored microarchitectures (e.g. micropillar/well arrays or bifurcated vascular network) could be stored and delivered to distant locations as ready-to-use chips. The highly porous and microscale sponges enabled automatic and uniform loading of cellular niche components (cells, matrices and soluble factors) by simply pipetting, making it accessible to any lab with basic cell culture setups. Meanwhile, the chips containing miniaturized 3D cellular microenvironments with versatile micro-architectural designs could be integrated (i.e. by autoloading and sandwiching) to enable novel 3D cell-based assays (e.g. discrete gradient-based cytotoxicity test and horizontal 3D invasion assay) in an efficient and parallel manner. The off-the-shelf platform based on microsponge array is expected to be widely applicable across multiple disciplines in cell biology, cell/tissue engineering and pharmacological science.

Cellular behaviour of hepatocyte-like cells from nude mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on galactosylated poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)

Previously, the galactosylation of poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) surface was accomplished by grafting allylamine (AA), using inductively coupled plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) and conjugating lactobionic acid (LA) with AA via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) activation for hepatic tissue-engineering purposes. As a continuation study, the cellular behaviour of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) on the surface of the galactosylated PLGA were investigated. Nude mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured under hepatogenic conditions and the differentiated cells were characterized by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunofluorescence and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Galactosylated PLGA enhanced the proliferation rate of HLCs compared to the control; HLCs on the surface of the sample became aggregated and formed spheroids after 3 days of culture. A large number of cells on the surface of the sample exhibited increased liver-specific functional activities, such as albumin and urea secretions. In addition, multicellular spheroids in the sample strongly expressed phospholyated focal adhesion kinase (pFAK) (cell-matrix interactions), E-cadherin (cell-cell interactions) and connexin 32 (Cox32; gap junction).

Synthetic 3D multicellular systems for drug development

Since the 1970s, the limitations of two dimensional (2D) cell culture and the relevance of appropriate three dimensional (3D) cell systems have become increasingly evident. Extensive effort has thus been made to move cells from a flat world to a 3D environment. While 3D cell culture technologies are meanwhile widely used in academia, 2D culture technologies are still entrenched in the (pharmaceutical) industry for most kind of cell-based efficacy and toxicology tests. However, 3D cell culture technologies will certainly become more applicable if biological relevance, reproducibility and high throughput can be assured at acceptable costs. Most recent innovations and developments clearly indicate that the transition from 2D to 3D cell culture for industrial purposes, for example, drug development is simply a question of time.

Interactions of vimentin- or desmin-expressing liver cells with N-acetylglucosamine-bearing polymers

It is necessary to develop highly functionalized liver cell culture systems for liver tissue engineering such as bioartificial livers and liver cell chips. To maintain a high level of hepatocyte function, well-organized patterning culture systems of hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells would be advantageous. To design the patterning culture system using these cells, cell-recognizable polymers should be useful to regulate not only the hepatocytes, but also the nonparenchymal cells. Here, we report that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-bearing polymers are useful as nonparenchymal cell-recognizable polymers. It has previously been reported that mesenchymal cells adhered to GlcNAc-bearing polymer-coated dishes through surface vimentin. It was also observed that nonparenchymal cells expressing vimentin or desmin specifically adhered to GlcNAc-bearing polymer-coated dishes. Especially, in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) cultured on GlcNAc-bearing polymer-coated dishes, the expression of α-smooth muscle actin as an activated HSCs marker was suppressed in long-term. Therefore, HSCs were shown to maintain a quiescent state on PVGlcNAc-coated dishes during a long-term culture. These results demonstrated that GlcNAc-bearing polymers could be beneficial to culture nonparenchymal cells such as HSCs. Our findings suggest that galactose- and GlcNAc-bearing polymers can regulate the culture of all liver cells and may be useful tools for the establishment of liver tissue engineering.