1
|
Roudaut M, Caillaud A, Souguir Z, Bray L, Girardeau A, Rimbert A, Croyal M, Lambert G, Patitucci M, Delpouve G, Vandenhaute É, Le May C, Maubon N, Cariou B, Si‐Tayeb K. Human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived liver organoids grown on a Biomimesys® hyaluronic acid-based hydroscaffold as a new model for studying human lipoprotein metabolism. Bioeng Transl Med 2024; 9:e10659. [PMID: 39036087 PMCID: PMC11256179 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The liver plays a key role in the metabolism of lipoproteins, controlling both production and catabolism. To accelerate the development of new lipid-lowering therapies in humans, it is essential to have a relevant in vitro study model available. The current hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) models derived from hiPSC can be used to model many genetically driven diseases but require further improvement to better recapitulate the complexity of liver functions. Here, we aimed to improve the maturation of HLCs using a three-dimensional (3D) approach using Biomimesys®, a hyaluronic acid-based hydroscaffold in which hiPSCs may directly form aggregates and differentiate toward a functional liver organoid model. After a 28-day differentiation 3D protocol, we showed that many hepatic genes were upregulated in the 3D model (liver organoids) in comparison with the 2D model (HLCs). Liver organoids, grown on Biomimesys®, exhibited an autonomous cell organization, were composed of different cell types and displayed enhanced cytochromes P450 activities compared to HLCs. Regarding the functional capacities of these organoids, we showed that they were able to accumulate lipids (hepatic steatosis), internalize low-density lipoprotein and secrete apolipoprotein B. Interestingly, we showed for the first time that this model was also able to produce apolipoprotein (a), the apolipoprotein (a) specific of Lp(a). This innovative hiPSC-derived liver organoid model may serve as a relevant model for studying human lipopoprotein metabolism, including Lp(a).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meryl Roudaut
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
- HCS PharmaLilleFrance
| | - Amandine Caillaud
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | | | - Lise Bray
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | - Aurore Girardeau
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | - Antoine Rimbert
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | - Mikaël Croyal
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
- CRNH‐Ouest Mass Spectrometry Core FacilityNantesFrance
| | - Gilles Lambert
- Inserm, UMR 1188 Diabète Athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien (DéTROI)Université de La RéunionSaint‐Denisde La RéunionFrance
| | - Murielle Patitucci
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | | | | | - Cédric Le May
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | | | - Bertrand Cariou
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| | - Karim Si‐Tayeb
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, l'institut du thoraxNantesFrance
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cools L, Dastjerd MK, Smout A, Merens V, Yang Y, Reynaert H, Messaoudi N, Smet VD, Kumar M, Verhulst S, Verfaillie C, van Grunsven LA. Human iPSC-derived liver co-culture spheroids to model liver fibrosis. Biofabrication 2024; 16:035032. [PMID: 38865994 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad5766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The lack of adequate humanin vitromodels that recapitulate the cellular composition and response of the human liver to injury hampers the development of anti-fibrotic drugs. The goal of this study was to develop a human spheroid culture model to study liver fibrosis by using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived liver cells. iPSCs were independently differentiated towards hepatoblasts (iHepatoblasts), hepatic stellate cells (iHSCs), endothelial cells (iECs) and macrophages (iMΦ), before assembly into free floating spheroids by culturing cells in 96-well U-bottom plates and orbital shaking for up to 21 days to allow further maturation. Through transcriptome analysis, we show further maturation of iECs and iMΦ, the differentiation of the iHepatoblasts towards hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps) and the inactivation of the iHSCs by the end of the 3D culture. Moreover, these cultures display a similar expression of cell-specific marker genes (CYP3A4, PDGFRβ, CD31andCD68) and sensitivity to hepatotoxicity as spheroids made using freshly isolated primary human liver cells. Furthermore, we show the functionality of the iHeps and the iHSCs by mimicking liver fibrosis through iHep-induced iHSC activation, using acetaminophen. In conclusion, we have established a reproducible human iPSC-derived liver culture model that can be used to mimic fibrosisin vitroas a replacement of primary human liver derived 3D models. The model can be used to investigate pathways involved in fibrosis development and to identify new targets for chronic liver disease therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cools
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mina Kazemzadeh Dastjerd
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ayla Smout
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Merens
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yuwei Yang
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Reynaert
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nouredin Messaoudi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent De Smet
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Stem Cell Institute Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefaan Verhulst
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Stem Cell Institute Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leo A van Grunsven
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Osonoi S, Takebe T. Organoid-guided precision hepatology for metabolic liver disease. J Hepatol 2024; 80:805-821. [PMID: 38237864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease affects millions of people worldwide. Progress towards a definitive cure has been incremental and treatment is currently limited to lifestyle modification. Hepatocyte-specific lipid accumulation is the main trigger of lipotoxic events, driving inflammation and fibrosis. The underlying pathology is extraordinarily heterogenous, and the manifestations of steatohepatitis are markedly influenced by metabolic communications across non-hepatic organs. Synthetic human tissue models have emerged as powerful platforms to better capture the mechanistic diversity in disease progression, while preserving person-specific genetic traits. In this review, we will outline current research efforts focused on integrating multiple synthetic tissue models of key metabolic organs, with an emphasis on organoid-based systems. By combining functional genomics and population-scale en masse profiling methodologies, human tissues derived from patients can provide insights into personalised genetic, transcriptional, biochemical, and metabolic states. These collective efforts will advance our understanding of steatohepatitis and guide the development of rational solutions for mechanism-directed diagnostic and therapeutic investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sho Osonoi
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Takanori Takebe
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; WPI Premium Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe) and Department of Genome Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Institute of Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8510, Japan; Communication Design Center, Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Brenner DA. Alternatives to animal testing to assess MASH drugs and hepatotoxicity. Hepatology 2023:01515467-990000000-00632. [PMID: 37934631 PMCID: PMC11070445 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act 2.0 "allows for alternatives to animal testing for purposes of drug and biological product applications." This provides an opportunity to develop and improve alternatives to animal studies to assess drugs in the liver. Two-dimensional cultures of liver cells fail to maintain their differentiated state and fail to reproduce liver disease phenotypes. Therefore, several platforms using human liver cells are being developed either to (1) assess hepatotoxicity of drugs or (2) create "diseases in a dish" to assess the effectiveness of drugs in treating liver diseases, primarily focused on treating MASH. The technological approaches include precision cut liver slices, human liver spheroids, human liver organoids, bioprinted human liver tissues, and microphysiological systems. This review evaluates each of these technologies and their role in providing alternatives to testing in animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David A Brenner
- Sanford Burnham Prebys and UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Luo Q, Wang N, Que H, Mai E, Hu Y, Tan R, Gu J, Gong P. Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells: Induction Methods and Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11592. [PMID: 37511351 PMCID: PMC10380504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of regenerative medicine provides new options for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases. Stem cells, such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are effective tools for tissue repair in regenerative medicine. iPSCs are an appropriate source of hepatocytes for the treatment of liver disease due to their unlimited multiplication capacity, their coverage of the entire range of genetics required to simulate human disease, and their evasion of ethical implications. iPSCs have the ability to gradually produce hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) with homologous phenotypes and physiological functions. However, how to induce iPSCs to differentiate into HLCs efficiently and accurately is still a hot topic. This review describes the existing approaches for inducing the differentiation of iPSCs into HLCs, as well as some challenges faced, and summarizes various parameters for determining the quality and functionality of HLCs. Furthermore, the application of iPSCs for in vitro hepatoprotective drug screening and modeling of liver disease is discussed. In conclusion, iPSCs will be a dependable source of cells for stem-cell therapy to treat end-stage liver disease and are anticipated to facilitate individualized treatment for liver disease in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiulin Luo
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Nan Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Hanyun Que
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Erziya Mai
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Yanting Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Rui Tan
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610032, China
| | - Jian Gu
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Puyang Gong
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rezvani M, Vallier L, Guillot A. Modeling Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Dish Using Human-Specific Platforms: Strategies and Limitations. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:1135-1145. [PMID: 36740045 PMCID: PMC10031472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease affecting multiple cell types of the human liver. The high prevalence of NAFLD and the lack of approved therapies increase the demand for reliable models for the preclinical discovery of drug targets. In the last decade, multiple proof-of-principle studies have demonstrated human-specific NAFLD modeling in the dish. These systems have included technologies based on human induced pluripotent stem cell derivatives, liver tissue section cultures, intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids, and liver-on-a-chip. These platforms differ in functional maturity, multicellularity, scalability, and spatial organization. Identifying an appropriate model for a specific NAFLD-related research question is challenging. Therefore, we review different platforms for their strengths and limitations in modeling NAFLD. To define the fidelity of the current human in vitro NAFLD models in depth, we define disease hallmarks within the NAFLD spectrum that range from steatosis to severe fibroinflammatory tissue injury. We discuss how the most common methods are efficacious in modeling genetic contributions and aspects of the early NAFLD-related tissue response. We also highlight the shortcoming of current models to recapitulate the complexity of inter-organ crosstalk and the chronic process of liver fibrosis-to-cirrhosis that usually takes decades in patients. Importantly, we provide methodological overviews and discuss implementation hurdles (eg, reproducibility or costs) to help choose the most appropriate NAFLD model for the individual research focus: hepatocyte injury, ductular reaction, cellular crosstalk, or other applications. In sum, we highlight current strategies and deficiencies to model NAFLD in the dish and propose a framework for the next generation of human-specific investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milad Rezvani
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nephrology and Metabolic Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Berlin Institute of Health, Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Clinician-Scientist Program, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ludovic Vallier
- Berlin Institute of Health, Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adrien Guillot
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kim HJ, Kim G, Chi KY, Kim H, Jang YJ, Jo S, Lee J, Lee Y, Woo DH, Han C, Kim SK, Park HJ, Kim JH. Generation of multilineage liver organoids with luminal vasculature and bile ducts from human pluripotent stem cells via modulation of Notch signaling. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:19. [PMID: 36737811 PMCID: PMC9898924 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03235-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The generation of liver organoids recapitulating parenchymal and non-parenchymal cell interplay is essential for the precise in vitro modeling of liver diseases. Although different types of multilineage liver organoids (mLOs) have been generated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), the assembly and concurrent differentiation of multiple cell types in individual mLOs remain a major challenge. Particularly, most studies focused on the vascularization of mLOs in host tissue after transplantation in vivo. However, relatively little information is available on the in vitro formation of luminal vasculature in mLOs themselves. METHODS The mLOs with luminal blood vessels and bile ducts were generated by assembling hepatic endoderm, hepatic stellate cell-like cells (HscLCs), and endothelial cells derived entirely from hPSCs using 96-well ultra-low attachment plates. We analyzed the effect of HscLC incorporation and Notch signaling modulation on the formation of both bile ducts and vasculature in mLOs using immunofluorescence staining, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and live-perfusion imaging. The potential use of the mLOs in fibrosis modeling was evaluated by histological and gene expression analyses after treatment with pro-fibrotic cytokines. RESULTS We found that hPSC-derived HscLCs are crucial for generating functional microvasculature in mLOs. HscLC incorporation and subsequent vascularization substantially reduced apoptotic cell death and promoted the survival and growth of mLOs with microvessels. In particular, precise modulation of Notch signaling during a specific time window in organoid differentiation was critical for generating both bile ducts and vasculature. Live-cell imaging, a series of confocal scans, and electron microscopy demonstrated that blood vessels were well distributed inside mLOs and had perfusable lumens in vitro. In addition, exposure of mLOs to pro-fibrotic cytokines induced early fibrosis-associated events, including upregulation of genes associated with fibrotic induction and endothelial cell activation (i.e., collagen I, α-SMA, and ICAM) together with destruction of tissue architecture and organoid shrinkage. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that mLOs can reproduce parenchymal and non-parenchymal cell interactions and suggest that their application can advance the precise modeling of liver diseases in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Jin Kim
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea
| | - Gyeongmin Kim
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea
| | - Kyun Yoo Chi
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea
| | - Hyemin Kim
- grid.418982.e0000 0004 5345 5340Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, 34114 South Korea
| | - Yu Jin Jang
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Seongyea Jo
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea ,grid.418982.e0000 0004 5345 5340Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, 34114 South Korea
| | - Jihun Lee
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea
| | - Youngseok Lee
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841 South Korea
| | - Dong-Hun Woo
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, NEXEL Co., Ltd, Seoul, 07802 South Korea
| | - Choongseong Han
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, NEXEL Co., Ltd, Seoul, 07802 South Korea
| | - Sang Kyum Kim
- grid.254230.20000 0001 0722 6377College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134 South Korea
| | - Han-Jin Park
- grid.418982.e0000 0004 5345 5340Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, 34114 South Korea
| | - Jong-Hoon Kim
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yuan Y, Cotton K, Samarasekera D, Khetani SR. Engineered Platforms for Maturing Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Cells for Disease Modeling. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:1147-1160. [PMID: 36738860 PMCID: PMC10034210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Several liver diseases (eg, hepatitis B/C viruses, alcoholic/nonalcoholic fatty liver, malaria, monogenic diseases, and drug-induced liver injury) significantly impact global mortality and morbidity. Species-specific differences in liver functions limit the use of animals to fully elucidate/predict human outcomes; therefore, in vitro human liver models are used for basic and translational research to complement animal studies. However, primary human liver cells are in short supply and display donor-to-donor variability in viability/quality. In contrast, human hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells are a near infinite cell resource that retains the patient/donor's genetic background; however, conventional protocols yield immature phenotypes. HLC maturation can be significantly improved using advanced techniques, such as protein micropatterning to precisely control cell-cell interactions, controlled sized spheroids, organoids with multiple cell types and layers, 3-dimensional bioprinting to spatially control cell populations, microfluidic devices for automated nutrient exchange and to induce liver zonation via soluble factor gradients, and synthetic biology to genetically modify the HLCs to accelerate and enhance maturation. Here, we present design features and characterization for representative advanced HLC maturation platforms and then discuss HLC use for modeling various liver diseases. Lastly, we discuss desirable advances to move this field forward. We anticipate that with continued advances in this space, pluripotent stem cell-derived liver models will provide human-relevant data much earlier in preclinical drug development and reduce animal usage, help elucidate liver disease mechanisms for the discovery of efficacious and safe therapeutics, and be useful as cell-based therapies for patients suffering from end-stage liver failure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kristen Cotton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Dinithi Samarasekera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Salman R Khetani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Advances in Recellularization of Decellularized Liver Grafts with Different Liver (Stem) Cells: Towards Clinical Applications. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020301. [PMID: 36672236 PMCID: PMC9856398 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation is currently the only curative therapy for patients with acute or chronic liver failure. However, a dramatic gap between the number of available liver grafts and the number of patients on the transplantation waiting list emphasizes the need for valid liver substitutes. Whole-organ engineering is an emerging field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It aims to generate transplantable and functional organs to support patients on transplantation waiting lists until a graft becomes available. It comprises two base technologies developed in the last decade; (1) organ decellularization to generate a three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix scaffold of an organ, and (2) scaffold recellularization to repopulate both the parenchymal and vascular compartments of a decellularized organ. In this review article, recent advancements in both technologies, in relation to liver whole-organ engineering, are presented. We address the potential sources of hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells for repopulation studies, and the role of stem-cell-derived liver progeny is discussed. In addition, different cell seeding strategies, possible graft modifications, and methods used to evaluate the functionality of recellularized liver grafts are outlined. Based on the knowledge gathered from recent transplantation studies, future directions are summarized.
Collapse
|
10
|
Large-scale perfused tissues via synthetic 3D soft microfluidics. Nat Commun 2023; 14:193. [PMID: 36635264 PMCID: PMC9837048 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35619-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The vascularization of engineered tissues and organoids has remained a major unresolved challenge in regenerative medicine. While multiple approaches have been developed to vascularize in vitro tissues, it has thus far not been possible to generate sufficiently dense networks of small-scale vessels to perfuse large de novo tissues. Here, we achieve the perfusion of multi-mm3 tissue constructs by generating networks of synthetic capillary-scale 3D vessels. Our 3D soft microfluidic strategy is uniquely enabled by a 3D-printable 2-photon-polymerizable hydrogel formulation, which allows for precise microvessel printing at scales below the diffusion limit of living tissues. We demonstrate that these large-scale engineered tissues are viable, proliferative and exhibit complex morphogenesis during long-term in-vitro culture, while avoiding hypoxia and necrosis. We show by scRNAseq and immunohistochemistry that neural differentiation is significantly accelerated in perfused neural constructs. Additionally, we illustrate the versatility of this platform by demonstrating long-term perfusion of developing neural and liver tissue. This fully synthetic vascularization platform opens the door to the generation of human tissue models at unprecedented scale and complexity.
Collapse
|
11
|
de la Torre RAMG, Sancho-Bru P. Differentiation of Hepatic Stellate Cells from Pluripotent Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2669:33-42. [PMID: 37247052 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3207-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are non-parenchymal cells with a mesenchymal origin involved in vitamin A storage and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. In response to injury, HSCs activate and acquire myofibroblastic features, participating in the wound healing response. Upon chronic liver injury, HSCs become the main contributors to ECM deposition and to the progression of fibrosis. Due to their relevant roles in liver function and pathophysiology, it is of utmost importance to develop means to obtain HSCs for liver disease modeling and drug development. Here, we describe a directed differentiation protocol from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to obtain functional HSCs (PSC-HSCs). The procedure is based on the subsequent addition of growth factors during 12 days of differentiation. PSC-HSCs can be used for liver modeling and drug screening assays, hence emerging as a promising and reliable source of HSCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pau Sancho-Bru
- Liver Cell Plasticity and Tissue Repair Lab at Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain.
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Current Status and Challenges of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Liver Models in Drug Discovery. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030442. [PMID: 35159250 PMCID: PMC8834601 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry is in high need of efficient and relevant in vitro liver models, which can be incorporated in their drug discovery pipelines to identify potential drugs and their toxicity profiles. Current liver models often rely on cancer cell lines or primary cells, which both have major limitations. However, the development of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has created a new opportunity for liver disease modeling, drug discovery and liver toxicity research. hiPSCs can be differentiated to any cell of interest, which makes them good candidates for disease modeling and drug discovery. Moreover, hiPSCs, unlike primary cells, can be easily genome-edited, allowing the creation of reporter lines or isogenic controls for patient-derived hiPSCs. Unfortunately, even though liver progeny from hiPSCs has characteristics similar to their in vivo counterparts, the differentiation of iPSCs to fully mature progeny remains highly challenging and is a major obstacle for the full exploitation of these models by pharmaceutical industries. In this review, we discuss current liver-cell differentiation protocols and in vitro iPSC-based liver models that could be used for disease modeling and drug discovery. Furthermore, we will discuss the challenges that still need to be overcome to allow for the successful implementation of these models into pharmaceutical drug discovery platforms.
Collapse
|
13
|
HiPSC-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells Can Be Used as a Model for Transcriptomics-Based Study of Chemical Toxicity. TOXICS 2021; 10:toxics10010001. [PMID: 35051043 PMCID: PMC8780865 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Traditional toxicity risk assessment approaches have until recently focussed mainly on histochemical readouts for cell death. Modern toxicology methods attempt to deduce a mechanistic understanding of pathways involved in the development of toxicity, by using transcriptomics and other big data-driven methods such as high-content screening. Here, we used a recently described optimised method to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs), to assess their potential to classify hepatotoxic and non-hepatotoxic chemicals and their use in mechanistic toxicity studies. The iPSC-HLCs could accurately classify chemicals causing acute hepatocellular injury, and the transcriptomics data on treated HLCs obtained by TempO-Seq technology linked the cytotoxicity to cellular stress pathways, including oxidative stress and unfolded protein response (UPR). Induction of these stress pathways in response to amiodarone, diclofenac, and ibuprofen, was demonstrated to be concentration and time dependent. The transcriptomics data on diclofenac-treated HLCs were found to be more sensitive in detecting differentially expressed genes in response to treatment, as compared to existing datasets of other diclofenac-treated in vitro hepatocyte models. Hence iPSC-HLCs generated by transcription factor overexpression and in metabolically optimised medium appear suitable for chemical toxicity detection as well as mechanistic toxicity studies.
Collapse
|
14
|
Panwar A, Das P, Tan LP. 3D Hepatic Organoid-Based Advancements in LIVER Tissue Engineering. Bioengineering (Basel) 2021; 8:185. [PMID: 34821751 PMCID: PMC8615121 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering8110185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver-associated diseases and tissue engineering approaches based on in vitro culture of functional Primary human hepatocytes (PHH) had been restricted by the rapid de-differentiation in 2D culture conditions which restricted their usability. It was proven that cells growing in 3D format can better mimic the in vivo microenvironment, and thus help in maintaining metabolic activity, phenotypic properties, and longevity of the in vitro cultures. Again, the culture method and type of cell population are also recognized as important parameters for functional maintenance of primary hepatocytes. Hepatic organoids formed by self-assembly of hepatic cells are microtissues, and were able to show long-term in vitro maintenance of hepato-specific characteristics. Thus, hepatic organoids were recognized as an effective tool for screening potential cures and modeling liver diseases effectively. The current review summarizes the importance of 3D hepatic organoid culture over other conventional 2D and 3D culture models and its applicability in Liver tissue engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amit Panwar
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Institute of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow-Deva Road Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh 225003, India
| | - Prativa Das
- The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA;
| | - Lay Poh Tan
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
- Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), Singapore 639798, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|