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Morais AS, Mendes M, Cordeiro MA, Sousa JJ, Pais AC, Mihăilă SM, Vitorino C. Organ-on-a-Chip: Ubi sumus? Fundamentals and Design Aspects. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:615. [PMID: 38794277 PMCID: PMC11124787 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050615] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This review outlines the evolutionary journey from traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture to the revolutionary field of organ-on-a-chip technology. Organ-on-a-chip technology integrates microfluidic systems to mimic the complex physiological environments of human organs, surpassing the limitations of conventional 2D cultures. This evolution has opened new possibilities for understanding cell-cell interactions, cellular responses, drug screening, and disease modeling. However, the design and manufacture of microchips significantly influence their functionality, reliability, and applicability to different biomedical applications. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider design parameters, including the number of channels (single, double, or multi-channels), the channel shape, and the biological context. Simultaneously, the selection of appropriate materials compatible with the cells and fabrication methods optimize the chips' capabilities for specific applications, mitigating some disadvantages associated with these systems. Furthermore, the success of organ-on-a-chip platforms greatly depends on the careful selection and utilization of cell resources. Advances in stem cell technology and tissue engineering have contributed to the availability of diverse cell sources, facilitating the development of more accurate and reliable organ-on-a-chip models. In conclusion, a holistic perspective of in vitro cellular modeling is provided, highlighting the integration of microfluidic technology and meticulous chip design, which play a pivotal role in replicating organ-specific microenvironments. At the same time, the sensible use of cell resources ensures the fidelity and applicability of these innovative platforms in several biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Morais
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.S.M.); (M.M.); (M.A.C.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Maria Mendes
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.S.M.); (M.M.); (M.A.C.); (J.J.S.)
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Marta Agostinho Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.S.M.); (M.M.); (M.A.C.); (J.J.S.)
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - João J. Sousa
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.S.M.); (M.M.); (M.A.C.); (J.J.S.)
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Alberto Canelas Pais
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Silvia M. Mihăilă
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Carla Vitorino
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.S.M.); (M.M.); (M.A.C.); (J.J.S.)
- Coimbra Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
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Mansouri M, Imes WD, Roberts OS, Leipzig ND. Fabrication of oxygen-carrying microparticles functionalized with liver ECM-proteins to improve phenotypic three-dimensional in vitro liver assembly, function, and responses. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3025-3038. [PMID: 37269469 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28456] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen and extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived biopolymers play vital roles in regulating many cellular functions in both the healthy and diseased liver. This study highlights the significance of synergistically tuning the internal microenvironment of three-dimensional (3D) cell aggregates composed of hepatocyte-like cells from the HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) from the LX-2 cell line to enhance oxygen availability and phenotypic ECM ligand presentation for promoting the native metabolic functions of the human liver. First, fluorinated (PFC) chitosan microparticles (MPs) were generated with a microfluidic chip, then their oxygen transport properties were studied using a custom ruthenium-based oxygen sensing approach. Next, to allow for integrin engagements the surfaces of these MPs were functionalized using liver ECM proteins including fibronectin, laminin-111, laminin-511, and laminin-521, then they were used to assemble composite spheriods along with HepG2 cells and HSCs. After in vitro culture, liver-specific functions and cell adhesion patterns were compared between groups and cells showed enhanced liver phenotypic responses to laminin-511 and 521 as evidenced via enhanced E-cadherin and vinculin expression, as well as albumin and urea secretion. Furthermore, hepatocytes and HSCs exhibited more pronounced phenotypic arrangements when cocultured with laminin-511 and 521 modified MPs providing clear evidence that specific ECM proteins have distinctive roles in the phenotypic regulation of liver cells in engineering 3D spheroids. This study advances efforts to create more physiologically relevant organ models allowing for well-defined conditions and phenotypic cell signaling which together improve the relevance of 3D spheroid and organoid models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Mansouri
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - William D Imes
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Owen S Roberts
- College of Engineering and Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Nic D Leipzig
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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3
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Villanueva-Badenas E, Donato MT, Tolosa L. Mechanistic Understanding of Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity Using Co-Cultures of Hepatocytes and Macrophages. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1315. [PMID: 37507855 PMCID: PMC10376129 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071315] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatotoxicity or drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major safety issue in drug development as a primary reason for drug failure in clinical trials and the main cause for post-marketing regulatory measures like drug withdrawal. Idiosyncratic DILI (iDILI) is a patient-specific, multifactorial, and multicellular process that cannot be recapitulated in current in vitro models; thus, our major goal is to develop and fully characterize a co-culture system and to evaluate its suitability for predicting iDILI. For this purpose, we used human hepatoma HepG2 cells and macrophages differentiated from a monocyte cell line (THP-1) and established the appropriate co-culture conditions for mimicking an inflammatory environment. Then, mono-cultures and co-cultures were treated with model iDILI compounds (trovafloxacin, troglitazone) and their parent non-iDILI compounds (levofloxacin, rosiglitazone), and the effects on viability and the mechanisms implicated (i.e., oxidative stress induction) were analyzed. Our results show that co-culture systems including hepatocytes (HepG2) and other cell types (THP-1-derived macrophages) help to enhance the mechanistic understanding of iDILI, providing better hepatotoxicity predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estela Villanueva-Badenas
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - M Teresa Donato
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laia Tolosa
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Monteduro AG, Rizzato S, Caragnano G, Trapani A, Giannelli G, Maruccio G. Organs-on-chips technologies – A guide from disease models to opportunities for drug development. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 231:115271. [PMID: 37060819 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Current in-vitro 2D cultures and animal models present severe limitations in recapitulating human physiopathology with striking discrepancies in estimating drug efficacy and side effects when compared to human trials. For these reasons, microphysiological systems, organ-on-chip and multiorgans microdevices attracted considerable attention as novel tools for high-throughput and high-content research to achieve an improved understanding of diseases and to accelerate the drug development process towards more precise and eventually personalized standards. This review takes the form of a guide on this fast-growing field, providing useful introduction to major themes and indications for further readings. We start analyzing Organs-on-chips (OOC) technologies for testing the major drug administration routes: (1) oral/rectal route by intestine-on-a-chip, (2) inhalation by lung-on-a-chip, (3) transdermal by skin-on-a-chip and (4) intravenous through vascularization models, considering how drugs penetrate in the bloodstream and are conveyed to their targets. Then, we focus on OOC models for (other) specific organs and diseases: (1) neurodegenerative diseases with brain models and blood brain barriers, (2) tumor models including their vascularization, organoids/spheroids, engineering and screening of antitumor drugs, (3) liver/kidney on chips and multiorgan models for gastrointestinal diseases and metabolic assessment of drugs and (4) biomechanical systems recapitulating heart, muscles and bones structures and related diseases. Successively, we discuss technologies and materials for organ on chips, analyzing (1) microfluidic tools for organs-on-chips, (2) sensor integration for real-time monitoring, (3) materials and (4) cell lines for organs on chips. (Nano)delivery approaches for therapeutics and their on chip assessment are also described. Finally, we conclude with a critical discussion on current significance/relevance, trends, limitations, challenges and future prospects in terms of revolutionary impact on biomedical research, preclinical models and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grazia Monteduro
- Omnics Research Group, Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento and Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR-Nanotec and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Via per Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Silvia Rizzato
- Omnics Research Group, Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento and Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR-Nanotec and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Via per Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giusi Caragnano
- Omnics Research Group, Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento and Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR-Nanotec and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Via per Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Adriana Trapani
- Department of Pharmacy-Drug Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- National Institute of Gastroenterology IRCCS "Saverio de Bellis", Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maruccio
- Omnics Research Group, Department of Mathematics and Physics "Ennio De Giorgi", University of Salento and Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR-Nanotec and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Via per Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy.
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Carpentier N, Urbani L, Dubruel P, Van Vlierberghe S. The native liver as inspiration to create superior in vitro hepatic models. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:1091-1115. [PMID: 36594602 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01646j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the major reasons of drug withdrawal during the different phases of drug development. The later in the drug development a drug is discovered to be toxic, the higher the economical as well as the ethical impact will be. In vitro models for early detection of drug liver toxicity are under constant development, however to date a superior model of the liver is still lacking. Ideally, a highly reliable model should be established to maintain the different hepatic cell functionalities to the greatest extent possible, during a period of time long enough to allow for tracking of the toxicity of compounds. In the case of DILI, toxicity can appear even after months of exposure. To reach this goal, an in vitro model should be developed that mimics the in vivo liver environment, function and response to external stimuli. The different approaches for the development of liver models currently used in the field of tissue engineering will be described in this review. Combining different technologies, leading to optimal materials, cells and 3D-constructs will ultimately lead to an ideal superior model that fully recapitulates the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Carpentier
- Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Luca Urbani
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London SE5 9NT, UK.,Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Dubruel
- Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Sandra Van Vlierberghe
- Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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6
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Abbott A, Gravina ME, Vandadi M, Rahbar N, Coburn JM. Influence of lyophilization primary drying time and temperature on porous silk scaffold fabrication for biomedical applications. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:118-131. [PMID: 36205385 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Lyophilization of protein solutions, such as silk fibroin (silk), produces porous scaffolds useful for tissue engineering (TE). The impact of modifying lyophilization primary drying parameters on scaffold properties has not yet been explored previously. In this work, changes to primary drying duration and temperature were investigated using 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% (w/v) silk solutions, via protocols labeled as Long Hold, Slow Ramp, and Standard. The 9% and 12% scaffolds were not successfully fabricated using the Standard protocol, while the Long Hold and Slow Ramp protocols resulted in scaffolds from all silk solution concentrations. Scaffolds fabricated using the Long Hold protocol had higher Young's moduli, smaller pore Feret diameters, and faster degradation. To investigate the utility of the different lyophilized scaffolds for in vitro cell culturing, the HepaRG liver cell line was cultured in the 3% to 12% scaffolds fabricated using the Long Hold protocol. The HepaRG cells grown in 3% scaffolds initially had greater lipid accumulation and metabolic activity than the other groups, although these differences were no longer apparent by Day 28. The deoxyribonucleic acid content of the HepaRG cells grown in 3% scaffold group was also initially significantly higher than the other groups. Significant differences in gene expression by 9% scaffolded HepaRG cells (CK19, HNFα) were seen on Day 14 while significant differences by 12% scaffolded HepaRG cells (ALB, APOA4) were seen on Day 28. Overall, modifying the primary drying parameters and silk concentration resulted in lyophilized scaffolds with tunable properties useful for TE applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alycia Abbott
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mattea E Gravina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mobin Vandadi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nima Rahbar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeannine M Coburn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Cao L, Zhao H, Qian M, Shao C, Zhang Y, Yang J. Construction of polysaccharide scaffold-based perfusion bioreactor supporting liver cell aggregates for drug screening. JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE. POLYMER EDITION 2022; 33:2249-2269. [PMID: 35848470 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2022.2102715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Rebuilding a suitable microenvironment of liver cells is the key challenge to enhancing the expression of hepatic functions for drug screening in vitro. To improve the microenvironment by providing the specific adhesive ligands for hepatocytes in the three-dimensional dynamic culture, a perfusion bioreactor with a pectin/alginate blend porous scaffold was constructed in this study. The galactosyl component in the main chain of pectin was able to be specifically recognized by the asialoglycoprotein receptor on the surface of hepatocytes, and subsequently promoted the adhesion and aggregation of hepatocytes co-cultured with hepatic non-parenchymal cells. The bioreactor was optimized for 4 h of dynamic inoculation followed by perfusion at a flow rate of 2 mL/min, which provided adequate oxygen supply and good mass transfer to the liver cells. During dynamic cultured in the bioreactor for 14 days, more multicellular aggregates were formed and were evenly distributed in the pectin/alginate blend scaffolds. The expressions of intercellular interaction and hepatic functions of the hepatocytes in aggregates were significantly enhanced in the three-dimensional dynamic group. Furthermore, the bioreactor not only markedly upregulated the cell polarity markers expression of hepatocytes but also enhanced their metabolic capacity to acetaminophen, isoniazid, and tolbutamide, which exhibited a significant concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, the pectin/alginate blend scaffold-based perfusion bioreactor appeared to be a promising candidate in the field of drug development and liver regeneration research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Biological Sample Resource Sharing Center, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Huicun Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengyuan Qian
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chuxiao Shao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Lishui Central Hospital, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, Zhejiang, 323000, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jun Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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8
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Liu M, Xiang Y, Yang Y, Long X, Xiao Z, Nan Y, Jiang Y, Qiu Y, Huang Q, Ai K. State-of-the-art advancements in Liver-on-a-chip (LOC): Integrated biosensors for LOC. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 218:114758. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Acute radiation syndrome drug discovery using organ-on-chip platforms. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:865-878. [PMID: 35838021 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2099833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The high attrition rate during drug development remains a challenge that costs a significant amount of time and money. Improving the probabilities of success during the early stages of radiation medical countermeasure (MCM) development for approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) following the Animal Rule will reduce this burden. For optimal development of MCMs, we need suitable and efficient radiation injury models with high biological relevance for evaluating drug efficacy as well as biomarker discovery and validation. AREA COVERED This article focuses on new technologies involving various organs-on-chip platforms. Of late, there have been rapid development of these technologies, especially in terms of mimicking both normal and abnormal physiological conditions. Here, we suggest possible applications of these novel systems for the discovery and development of radiation MCMs for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS). We offer preliminary information on the utility of one such system for MCM research and discovery for the ARS condition. EXPERT OPINION : Each organ-on-a-chip system has its own strengths and shortcomings. As such, the system selected for MCM discovery, development, and regulatory approval should be carefully considered and optimized to the fullest extent in order to augment successful drug testing and the minimization of attrition rates of candidate agents. The recent encouraging progress with organ-on-a-chip technology will likely lead to additional radiation MCMs for ARS approved by the US FDA. The acceptance of organ-on-a-chip technology may be a promising step toward improving the success rate of pharmaceuticals in MCM development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Janani G, Priya S, Dey S, Mandal BB. Mimicking Native Liver Lobule Microarchitecture In Vitro with Parenchymal and Non-parenchymal Cells Using 3D Bioprinting for Drug Toxicity and Drug Screening Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:10167-10186. [PMID: 35171571 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bioengineering an in vitro liver model recapitulating the native liver microarchitecture consisting of parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells is crucial in achieving cellular crosstalk and hepatic metabolic functions for accurate hepatotoxicity prediction. Bioprinting holds the promise of engineering constructs with precise control over the spatial distribution of multiple cells. Two distinct tissue-specific liver extracellular matrix (ECM)-based bioinks with excellent printability and rheological attributes are formulated for supporting parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells. A physiologically relevant human vascularized liver model is bioprinted with a novel liver ECM-based bioink laden with human adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and human hepatic stellate cells (HHSCs) using an extrusion-based bioprinting approach and validated for hepatotoxicity assessment. The HLC/HUVEC/HHSC-laden liver model resembles native alternate cords of hepatocytes with a functional sinusoidal lumen-like network in both horizontal and vertical directions, demonstrating enhanced albumin production, urea synthesis, and cytochrome P450 (CPR) activity. Furthermore, the liver model is evaluated for drug toxicity assessment following 24 h exposure to different concentrations of (i) non-hepatotoxicants aspirin and dexamethasone, (ii) idiosyncratic hepatotoxicant trovafloxacin mesylate, and (iii) clinical hepatotoxicant acetaminophen and troglitazone. A follow-up cell viability and metabolic competence evaluation by estimating DNA concentration, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and CPR activity revealed a dose-dependent clinically relevant hepatotoxic response. These results corroborated that the developed clinically relevant vascularized liver model is affordable and would aid pharmaceutical companies in speeding up the drug development and provide a robust platform for hepatotoxicity screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Janani
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Smriti Priya
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Souradeep Dey
- Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Biman B Mandal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
- Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
- School of Health Science & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
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11
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Kulsharova G, Kurmangaliyeva A, Darbayeva E, Rojas-Solórzano L, Toxeitova G. Development of a Hybrid Polymer-Based Microfluidic Platform for Culturing Hepatocytes towards Liver-on-a-Chip Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13193215. [PMID: 34641031 PMCID: PMC8513053 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The drug development process can greatly benefit from liver-on-a-chip platforms aiming to recapitulate the physiology, mechanisms, and functionalities of liver cells in an in vitro environment. The liver is the most important organ in drug metabolism investigation. Here, we report the development of a hybrid cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic (HCP) platform to culture a Huh7 hepatoma cell line in dynamic conditions towards the development of a liver-on-a-chip system. The microfluidic platform is comprised of a COC bottom layer with a microchannel and PDMS-based flat top layer sandwiched together. The HCP device was applied for culturing Huh7 cells grown on a collagen-coated microchannel. A computational fluid dynamics modeling study was conducted for the HCP device design revealing the presence of air volume fraction in the chamber and methods for optimizing experimental handling of the device. The functionality and metabolic activity of perfusion culture were assessed by the secretion rates of albumin, urea, and cell viability visualization. The HCP device hepatic culture remained functional and intact for 24 h, as assessed by resulting levels of biomarkers similar to published studies on other in vitro and 2D cell models. The present results provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the hybrid COC–PDMS microfluidic chip for successfully culturing a Huh7 hepatoma cell line, thus paving the path towards developing a liver-on-a-chip platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulsim Kulsharova
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (E.D.); (L.R.-S.); (G.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Akbota Kurmangaliyeva
- School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan;
| | - Elvira Darbayeva
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (E.D.); (L.R.-S.); (G.T.)
| | - Luis Rojas-Solórzano
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (E.D.); (L.R.-S.); (G.T.)
| | - Galiya Toxeitova
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (E.D.); (L.R.-S.); (G.T.)
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12
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Ferrari E, Rasponi M. Liver-Heart on chip models for drug safety. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:031505. [PMID: 34286172 PMCID: PMC8282347 DOI: 10.1063/5.0048986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current pre-clinical models to evaluate drug safety during the drug development process (DDP) mainly rely on traditional two-dimensional cell cultures, considered too simplistic and often ineffective, or animal experimentations, which are costly, time-consuming, and not truly representative of human responses. Their clinical translation thus remains limited, eventually causing attrition and leading to high rates of failure during clinical trials. These drawbacks can be overcome by the recently developed Organs-on-Chip (OoC) technology. OoC are sophisticated in vitro systems capable of recapitulating pivotal architecture and functionalities of human organs. OoC are receiving increasing attention from the stakeholders of the DDP, particularly concerning drug screening and safety applications. When a drug is administered in the human body, it is metabolized by the liver and the resulting compound may cause unpredicted toxicity on off-target organs such as the heart. In this sense, several liver and heart models have been widely adopted to assess the toxicity of new or recalled drugs. Recent advances in OoC technology are making available platforms encompassing multiple organs fluidically connected to efficiently assess and predict the systemic effects of compounds. Such Multi-Organs-on-Chip (MOoC) platforms represent a disruptive solution to study drug-related effects, which results particularly useful to predict liver metabolism on off-target organs to ultimately improve drug safety testing in the pre-clinical phases of the DDP. In this review, we focus on recently developed liver and heart on chip systems for drug toxicity testing. In addition, MOoC platforms encompassing connected liver and heart tissues have been further reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Ferrari
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Rasponi
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
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13
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Qin L, Chen J, Lu D, Jain P, Yu Y, Cardenas D, Peng X, Yu X, Xu J, Wang J, O’ Malley BW, Lonard DM. Development of improved SRC-3 inhibitors as breast cancer therapeutic agents. Endocr Relat Cancer 2021; 28:657-670. [PMID: 34310341 PMCID: PMC8404148 DOI: 10.1530/erc-20-0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) possess specific and distinct oncogenic roles in the initiation of cancer and in its progression to a more aggressive disease. These coactivators interact with nuclear receptors and other transcription factors to boost transcription of multiple genes, which potentiate cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Targeting SRCs using small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) is a promising approach to control cancer progression and metastasis. By high-throughput screening analysis, we recently identified SI-2 as a potent SRC SMI. To develop therapeutic agents, SI-10 and SI-12, the SI-2 analogs are synthesized that incorporate the addition of F atoms to the SI-2 chemical structure. As a result, these analogs exhibit a significantly prolonged plasma half-life, minimal toxicity and improved hERG activity. Biological functional analysis showed that SI-10 and SI-12 treatment (5-50 nM) can significantly inhibit viability, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro and repress the growth of breast cancer PDX organoids. Treatment of mice with 10 mg/kg/day of either SI-10 or SI-12 was sufficient to repress the growth of xenograft tumors derived from MDA-MB-231 and LM2 cells. Furthermore, in spontaneous and experimental metastasis mouse models developed from MDA-MB-231 and LM2 cells, respectively, SI-10 and SI-12 effectively inhibited the progression of breast cancer lung metastasis. These results demonstrate that SI-10 and SI-12 are promising therapeutic agents and are specifically effective in blocking tumor metastasis, a key point in tumor progression to a more lethal state that results in patient mortality in the majority of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Qin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Dong Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Prashi Jain
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - David Cardenas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Xiaohui Peng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Xiaobin Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Jianming Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Bert W. O’ Malley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
| | - David M. Lonard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030 USA
- Corresponding Author: David M. Lonard ()
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14
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Shah I, Antonijevic T, Chambers B, Harrill J, Thomas R. Estimating Hepatotoxic Doses Using High-Content Imaging in Primary Hepatocytes. Toxicol Sci 2021; 183:285-301. [PMID: 34289070 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Using in vitro data to estimate point of departure (POD) values is an essential component of new approach methodologies (NAM)-based chemical risk assessments. In this case study, we evaluated a NAM for hepatotoxicity based on rat primary hepatocytes, high-content imaging (HCI), and toxicokinetic modeling. First, we treated rat primary hepatocytes with 10 concentrations (0.2 to 100 µM) of 51 chemicals that produced hepatotoxicity in repeat-dose subchronic and chronic exposures. Second, we used HCI to measure endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial function, lysosomal mass, steatosis, apoptosis, DNA texture, nuclear size, and cell number at 24, 48, and 72 h and calculated concentrations at 50% maximal activity (AC50). Third, we estimated administered equivalent doses (AEDs) from AC50 values using toxicokinetic modeling. AEDs using physiologically-based toxicokinetic models were 4.1-fold (SD 6.3) and 8.1-fold (SD 15.5) lower than subchronic and chronic lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs), respectively. In contrast, AEDs from ToxCast and Tox21 assays were 89.8-fold (SD 149.5) and 168-fold (SD 323.7) lower than subchronic and chronic LOAELs. Individual HCI end-points also estimated AEDs for specific hepatic lesions that were lower than in vivo PODs. Lastly, AEDs were similar for different in vitro exposure durations, but steady-state toxicokinetic models produced 7.6-fold lower estimates than dynamic physiologically-based ones. Our findings suggest that NAMs from diverse cell types provide conservative estimates of PODs. In contrast, NAMs based on the same species and cell type as the adverse outcome may produce estimates closer to the traditional in vivo PODs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Shah
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Todor Antonijevic
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), USA
| | - Bryant Chambers
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joshua Harrill
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Russell Thomas
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Ya S, Ding W, Li S, Du K, Zhang Y, Li C, Liu J, Li F, Li P, Luo T, He L, Xu A, Gao D, Qiu B. On-Chip Construction of Liver Lobules with Self-Assembled Perfusable Hepatic Sinusoid Networks. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:32640-32652. [PMID: 34225454 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c00794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Although various liver chips have been developed using emerging organ-on-a-chip techniques, it remains an enormous challenge to replicate the liver lobules with self-assembled perfusable hepatic sinusoid networks. Herein we develop a lifelike bionic liver lobule chip (LLC), on which the perfusable hepatic sinusoid networks are achieved using a microflow-guided angiogenesis methodology; additionally, during and after self-assembly, oxygen concentration is regulated to mimic physiologically dissolved levels supplied by actual hepatic arterioles and venules. This liver lobule design thereby produces more bionic liver microstructures, higher metabolic abilities, and longer lasting hepatocyte function than other liver-on-a-chip techniques that are able to deliver. We found that the flow through the unique micropillar design in the cell coculture zone guides the radiating assembly of the hepatic sinusoid, the oxygen concentration affects the morphology of the sinusoid by proliferation, and the oxygen gradient plays a key role in prolonging hepatocyte function. The expected breadth of applications our LLC is suited to is demonstrated by means of preliminarily testing chronic and acute hepatotoxicity of drugs and replicating growth of tumors in situ. This work provides new insights into designing more extensive bionic vascularized liver chips, while achieving longer lasting ex-vivo hepatocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Ya
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Weiping Ding
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
- Hefei National Lab for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Shibo Li
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Kun Du
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Chengpan Li
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Jing Liu
- School of Biology, Food and Environment Engineering, Hefei University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Fenfen Li
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
- Hefei National Lab for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Tianzhi Luo
- School of Engineering Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Liqun He
- School of Engineering Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ao Xu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Dayong Gao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- The Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
- Hefei National Lab for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
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16
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A versatile microfluidic tool for the 3D culture of HepaRG cells seeded at various stages of differentiation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14075. [PMID: 34234159 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of livers-on-a-chip aims to provide pharmaceutical companies with reliable systems to perform drug screening and toxicological studies. To that end, microfluidic systems are engineered to mimic the functions and architecture of this organ. In this context we have designed a device that reproduces series of liver microarchitectures, each permitting the 3D culture of hepatocytes by confining them to a chamber that is separated from the medium conveying channel by very thin slits. We modified the structure to ensure its compatibility with the culture of hepatocytes from different sources. Our device was adapted to the migratory and adhesion properties of the human HepaRG cell line at various stages of differentiation. Using this device, it was possible to keep the cells alive for more than 14 days, during which they achieved a 3D organisation and acquired or maintained their differentiation into hepatocytes. Albumin secretion as well as functional bile canaliculi were confirmed on the liver-on-a-chip. Finally, an acetaminophen toxicological assay was performed. With its multiple micro-chambers for hepatocyte culture, this microfluidic device architecture offers a promising opportunity to provide new tools for drug screening applications.
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17
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Abbott A, Coburn JM. HepaRG Maturation in Silk Fibroin Scaffolds: Toward Developing a 3D In Vitro Liver Model. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021. [PMID: 34105934 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In vitro liver models are necessary tools for the development of new therapeutics. HepaRG cells are a commonly used cell line to produce hepatic progenitor cells and hepatocytes. This study demonstrates for the first time the suitability of 3% silk scaffolds to support HepaRG growth and differentiation. The modulus and pore size of 3% silk scaffolds were shown to be within the desired range for liver cell growth. The optimal seeding density for HepaRG cells on silk scaffolds was determined. The growth and maturation of scaffolded HepaRG cells was evaluated for 28 days, where the first 14 days of culture were a proliferation period and the last 14 days of culture were a differentiation period using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treatment. After the first 14 days of culture, the scaffolded HepaRG cells exhibited increased metabolic activity and albumin secretion compared to monolayer cultured controls and preserved these attributes through the duration of culture. Additionally, after the first 14 days of culture, the scaffolded HepaRG cells displayed a significantly reduced expression of genes associated with hepatocyte maturation. This difference in expression was no longer apparent after 28 days of culture, suggesting that the cells underwent rapid differentiation within the scaffold. The functionalization of silk scaffolds with extracellular matrix (ECM) components (type I collagen and/or an arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD)-containing peptide) was investigated to determine the impact on HepaRG cell attachment and maturation. The inclusion of ECM components had no noticeable impact on cell attachment but did significantly influence CYP3A4 expression and albumin secretion. Finally, the matrix support provided by the 3% silk scaffolds could prime the HepaRG cells for steatosis liver model applications, as evidenced by lipid droplet accumulation and expression of steatosis-related genes after 24 h of exposure to oleic acid. Overall, our work demonstrates the utility of silk scaffolds in providing a modifiable platform for liver cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alycia Abbott
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Jeannine M Coburn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
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18
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Ren X, Getschman AE, Hwang S, Volkman BF, Klonisch T, Levin D, Zhao M, Santos S, Liu S, Cheng J, Lin F. Investigations on T cell transmigration in a human skin-on-chip (SoC) model. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1527-1539. [PMID: 33616124 PMCID: PMC8058301 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01194k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A microfluidics-based three-dimensional skin-on-chip (SoC) model is developed in this study to enable quantitative studies of transendothelial and transepithelial migration of human T lymphocytes in mimicked skin inflammatory microenvironments and to test new drug candidates. The keys results include 1) CCL20-dependent T cell transmigration is significantly inhibited by an engineered CCL20 locked dimer (CCL20LD), supporting the potential immunotherapeutic use of CCL20LD for treating skin diseases such as psoriasis; 2) transepithelial migration of T cells in response to a CXCL12 gradient mimicking T cell egress from the skin is significantly reduced by a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) background, suggesting the role of S1P for T cell retention in inflamed skin tissues; and 3) T cell transmigration is induced by inflammatory cytokine stimulated epithelial cells in the SoC model. Collectively, the developed SoC model recreates a dynamic multi-cellular micro-environment that enables quantitative studies of T cell transmigration at a single cell level in response to physiological cutaneous inflammatory mediators and potential drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoou Ren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, 30A Sifton Rd, 301 Allen Bldg, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada. and Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Anthony E Getschman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Samuel Hwang
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Thomas Klonisch
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - David Levin
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA and Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Susy Santos
- Victoria General Hospital, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2E8, Canada
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Jasmine Cheng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, 30A Sifton Rd, 301 Allen Bldg, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Francis Lin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, 30A Sifton Rd, 301 Allen Bldg, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada. and Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada and Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA and Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada
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19
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Tamai M, Fujiyama Y, Tagawa YI. Hepatocytes and Endothelial Networks in a Fluid-Based In Vitro Model of Liver Drug Metabolism. Tissue Eng Part A 2021; 27:1160-1167. [PMID: 33267675 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2020.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced liver toxicity remains a major cause of drug withdrawal from animal testing and human clinical trials. A functional liver culture model corresponding to the liver is urgently required; however, in previous liver models, it has proven difficult to stably maintain multiple liver functions. Previously reported fluid-based systems have some advantages for hepatocyte culture, but have insufficient liver-specific functions because they simply involve moving conventional hepatocyte cultures from a dish into a fluid-based system. Importantly, these cultures have no liver tissue-specific structures that construct liver-specific cellular polarities, such as apical, basolateral, and basal faces. In this study, we developed a fluid-based system for our liver tissue culture models. The liver tissues that were constructed in our originally designed fluid-based systems represent a tissue culture model for studying hepatic functions. Together, our findings show that by mimicking the structure of the liver in the body, our system effectively maintains multiple liver-specific functions. Impact statement A functional liver culture model corresponding to the liver is urgently required; however, in previous liver models, it has proven difficult to stably maintain multiple liver functions. In this study, we developed a fluid-based system for our liver tissue culture models. The liver tissues that were constructed in our originally designed fluid-based systems represent a tissue culture model for studying hepatic functions. Together, our findings show that by mimicking the structure of the liver in the body, our system effectively maintains multiple liver-specific functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Tamai
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan.,Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yoichi Fujiyama
- Bio-Industry Unit Technology Research Laboratory, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoh-Ichi Tagawa
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
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20
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Stolley DL, Crouch AC, Özkan A, Seeley EH, Whitley EM, Rylander MN, Cressman ENK. Combining Chemistry and Engineering for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Nano-Scale and Smaller Therapies. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E1243. [PMID: 33419304 PMCID: PMC7766014 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12121243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a major worldwide cause of death from carcinoma. Most patients are not candidates for surgery and medical therapies, including new immunotherapies, have not shown major improvements since the modest benefit seen with the introduction of sorafenib over a decade ago. Locoregional therapies for intermediate stage disease are not curative but provide some benefit. However, upon close scrutiny, there is still residual disease in most cases. We review the current status for treatment of intermediate stage disease, summarize the literature on correlative histopathology, and discuss emerging methods at micro-, nano-, and pico-scales to improve therapy. These include transarterial hyperthermia methods and thermoembolization, along with microfluidics model systems and new applications of mass spectrometry imaging for label-free analysis of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L. Stolley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (D.L.S.); (M.N.R.)
| | - Anna Colleen Crouch
- Interventional Radiology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.C.C.); (E.M.W.)
| | - Aliçan Özkan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Erin H. Seeley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| | - Elizabeth M. Whitley
- Interventional Radiology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.C.C.); (E.M.W.)
| | - Marissa Nichole Rylander
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (D.L.S.); (M.N.R.)
| | - Erik N. K. Cressman
- Interventional Radiology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.C.C.); (E.M.W.)
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21
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LaValley DJ, Miller PG, Shuler ML. Pumpless, unidirectional microphysiological system for testing metabolism-dependent chemotherapeutic toxicity. Biotechnol Prog 2020; 37:e3105. [PMID: 33274840 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Drug development is often hindered by the failure of preclinical models to accurately assess and predict the efficacy and safety of drug candidates. Body-on-a-chip (BOC) microfluidic devices, a subset of microphysiological systems (MPS), are being created to better predict human responses to drugs. Each BOC is designed with separate organ chambers interconnected with microfluidic channels mimicking blood recirculation. Here, we describe the design of the first pumpless, unidirectional, multiorgan system and apply this design concept for testing anticancer drug treatments. HCT-116 colon cancer spheroids, HepG2/C3A hepatocytes, and HL-60 promyeloblasts were embedded in collagen hydrogels and cultured within compartments representing "colon tumor", "liver," and "bone marrow" tissue, respectively. Operating on a pumpless platform, the microfluidic channel design provides unidirectional perfusion at physiologically realistic ratios to multiple channels simultaneously. The metabolism-dependent toxic effect of Tegafur, an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, combined with uracil was examined in each cell type. Tegafur-uracil treatment induced substantial cell death in HCT-116 cells and this cytotoxic response was reduced for multicellular spheroids compared to single cells, likely due to diffusion-limited drug penetration. Additionally, off-target toxicity was detected by HL-60 cells, which demonstrate that such systems can provide useful information on dose-limiting side effects. Collectively, this microscale cell culture analog is a valuable physiologically-based pharmacokinetic drug screening platform that may be used to support cancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J LaValley
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Paula G Miller
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Michael L Shuler
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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22
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Deng J, Cong Y, Han X, Wei W, Lu Y, Liu T, Zhao W, Lin B, Luo Y, Zhang X. A liver-on-a-chip for hepatoprotective activity assessment. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:064107. [PMID: 33312328 PMCID: PMC7710384 DOI: 10.1063/5.0024767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Hepatoprotectant is critical for the treatment of liver disease. This study first reported the application of a liver chip in the hepatoprotective effect assessment. We first established a biomimetic sinusoid-on-a-chip by laminating four types of hepatic cell lines (HepG2, HUVEC, LX-2, and U937 cells) in a single microchannel with the help of laminar flow in the microchannel and some micro-fences. This chip was straightforward to fabricate and operate and was able to be long-term cultured. It also demonstrated better hepatic activity (cell viability, albumin synthesis, urea secretion, and cytochrome P450 enzyme activities) over the traditional planar cell culture model. Then, we loaded three hepatoprotectants (tiopronin, bifendatatum, and glycyrrhizinate) into the chip followed by the addition of acetaminophen as a toxin. We successfully observed the hepatoprotective effect of these hepatoprotectants in the chip, and we also found that bifendatatum predominantly reduced alanine transaminase secretion, tiopronin predominantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase secretion, and glycyrrhizinate predominantly reduced aspartate transaminase secretion, which revealed the different mechanisms of these hepatoprotectants and provided a clue for following molecular biological study of the protecting mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ye Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Xiahe Han
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, 215123 Suzhou, China
| | - Wenbo Wei
- Shenzhen Institute of Geriatrics & Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 518000 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yao Lu
- Biotechnologhy Division, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 116023 Dalian, China
| | - Tingjiao Liu
- College of Stomatology, Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian, China
| | - Weijie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Bingcheng Lin
- Biotechnologhy Division, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 116023 Dalian, China
| | - Yong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, 215123 Suzhou, China
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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Moradi E, Jalili-Firoozinezhad S, Solati-Hashjin M. Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip models of human liver tissue. Acta Biomater 2020; 116:67-83. [PMID: 32890749 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The liver is the largest internal organ of the body with complex microarchitecture and function that plays critical roles in drug metabolism. Hepatotoxicity and drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by various drugs is the main reason for late-stage drug failures. Moreover, liver diseases are among the leading causes of death in the world, with the number of new cases arising each year. Although animal models have been used to understand human drug metabolism and toxicity before clinical trials, tridimensional microphysiological systems, such as liver-on-a-chip (Liver Chip) platforms, could better recapitulate features of human liver physiology and pathophysiology and thus, are often more predictive of human outcome. Liver Chip devices have shown promising results in mimicking in vivo condition by recapitulating the sinusoidal structure of the liver, maintaining high cell viability and cellular phenotypes, and emulating native liver functions. Here, we first review the cellular constituents and physiology of the liver and then critically discuss the state-of-the-art chip-based liver models and their applications in drug screening, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. We finally address the pending issues of existing platforms and touch upon future directions for developing new, advanced on-chip models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsanollah Moradi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran
| | - Sasan Jalili-Firoozinezhad
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Mehran Solati-Hashjin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran.
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24
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Chen X, Zhang YS, Zhang X, Liu C. Organ-on-a-chip platforms for accelerating the evaluation of nanomedicine. Bioact Mater 2020; 6:1012-1027. [PMID: 33102943 PMCID: PMC7566214 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanomedicine involves the use of engineered nanoscale materials in an extensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications and can be applied to the treatment of many diseases. Despite the rapid progress and tremendous potential of nanomedicine in the past decades, the clinical translational process is still quite slow, owing to the difficulty in understanding, evaluating, and predicting nanomaterial behaviors within the complex environment of human beings. Microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) techniques offer a promising way to resolve these challenges. Sophisticatedly designed Organ Chip enable in vitro simulation of the in vivo microenvironments, thus providing robust platforms for evaluating nanomedicine. Herein, we review recent developments and achievements in Organ Chip models for nanomedicine evaluations, categorized into seven broad sections based on the target organ systems: respiratory, digestive, lymphatic, excretory, nervous, and vascular, as well as coverage on applications relating to cancer. We conclude by providing our perspectives on the challenges and potential future directions for applications of Organ Chip in nanomedicine. Microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) techniques offer a promising way to understand, evaluate, and predict nanomedicine behaviors within the complex environment. Organ Chip models for nanomedicine evaluations are categorized into seven broad sections based on the targeted body systems. Limitations, challenges, and perspectives of Organ Chip for accelerating the assessment of nanomedicine are discussed, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
| | - Xinping Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Changsheng Liu
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
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25
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Hernandez-Gordillo V, Casolaro TC, Ebrahimkhani MR, Kiani S. Multicellular Systems to Translate Somatic Cell Genome Editors to Humans. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 16:72-81. [PMID: 33718690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.100249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
As genome editors move into clinical trials, there is a need to establish ex vivo multicellular systems to rapidly assess and predict toxic effects of genome editors in physiologically relevant human models. Advancements in organoid and organs-on-chip technologies offer the possibility to create multicellular systems that replicate the cellular composition and metabolic function of native tissues. Some multicellular systems have been validated in multiple applications for drug discovery and could be easily adapted to test genome editors; other models, especially those of the adaptive immune system, will require validation before being used as benchmarks for testing genome editors. Likewise, protocols to assess immunogenicity, to detect off-target effects, and to predict ex vivo to in vivo translation will need to be established and validated. This review will discuss key aspects to consider when designing, building, and/or adopting in vitro human multicellular systems for testing genome editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Hernandez-Gordillo
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Thomas Caleb Casolaro
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mo R Ebrahimkhani
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samira Kiani
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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26
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Hartman GD, Kuduk SD, Espiritu C, Lam AM. P450s under Restriction (PURE) Screen Using HepaRG and Primary Human Hepatocytes for Discovery of Novel HBV Antivirals. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1919-1927. [PMID: 33062174 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein is reported a novel screening paradigm PURE (P450s under restriction) for the identification and optimization of hits as part of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral discovery program. To closely represent in vivo hepatocytes, differentiated HepaRG cells (dHRGs) and primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) were used as the basis for an HBV infection system. However, a significant challenge arose during potency evaluation in using cultured dHRGs and PHHs as screening platforms because, as with hepatocytes in vivo, these cells express active cytochrome P450 enzymes and thus can metabolize test compounds. The observed antiviral effects may be the cumulative result of a dynamic pool of parent compound and metabolites thus confounding structure activity relationship (SAR) interpretation and subsequent optimization design initiatives. We show here that PURE methodology restricts metabolism of HBV-infected dHRGs and PHHs and thus provides highly informative potency data for decision-making on key representative antiviral compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D. Hartman
- Novira Therapeutics, a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Scott D. Kuduk
- Novira Therapeutics, a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Christine Espiritu
- Novira Therapeutics, a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Angela M. Lam
- Novira Therapeutics, a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
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27
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Oleaga C, Bridges LR, Persaud K, McAleer CW, Long CJ, Hickman JJ. A functional long-term 2D serum-free human hepatic in vitro system for drug evaluation. Biotechnol Prog 2020; 37:e3069. [PMID: 32829524 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human in vitro hepatic models generate faster drug toxicity data with higher human predictability compared to animal models. However, for long-term studies, current models require the use of serum and 3D architecture, limiting their utility. Maintaining a functional long-term human in vitro hepatic culture that avoids complex structures and serum would improve the value of such systems for preclinical studies. This would also enable a more straightforward integration with current multi-organ devices to study human systemic toxicity to generate an alternative model to chronic animal evaluations. A human primary hepatocyte culture system was characterized for 28 days in 2D and serum-free defined conditions. Under the studied conditions, human primary hepatocytes maintained their characteristic morphology, hepatic markers and functions for 28 days. The acute and chronic administration of known drugs validated the sensitivity of the system for drug testing. This human 2D model represents a realistic system to evaluate hepatic function for long-term drug studies, without the need of animal serum, confounding variable in most models, and with less complexity and resultant cost compared to most 3D models. The defined culture conditions can easily be integrated into complex multi-organ in vitro models for studying systemic effects driven by the liver function for long-term evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota Oleaga
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - L Richard Bridges
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Keisha Persaud
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Long
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - James J Hickman
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
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28
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Darakhshan S, Bidmeshki Pour A, Kowsari-Esfahan R, Vosough M, Montazeri L, Ghanian MH, Baharvand H, Piryaei A. Generation of Scalable Hepatic Micro-Tissues as a Platform for Toxicological Studies. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2020; 17:459-475. [PMID: 32666397 PMCID: PMC7392990 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-020-00272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, there is an urgent need for scalable and reliable in vitro models to assess the effects of therapeutic entities on the human liver. Hepatoma cell lines, including Huh-7, show weakly resemblance to human hepatocytes, limiting their significance in toxicity studies. Co-culture of hepatic cells with non-parenchymal cells, and the presence of extracellular matrix have been shown to influence the biological behavior of hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to generate the scalable and functional hepatic micro-tissues (HMTs). METHODS The size-controllable HMTs were generated through co-culturing of Huh-7 cells by mesenchymal stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a composite hydrogel of liver-derived extracellular matrix and alginate, using an air-driven droplet generator. RESULTS The generated HMTs were functional throughout a culture period of 28 days, as assessed by monitoring glycogen storage, uptake of low-density lipoprotein and indocyanine green. The HMTs also showed increased secretion levels of albumin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and fibrinogen, and production of urea. Evaluating the expression of genes involved in hepatic-specific and drug metabolism functions indicated a significant improvement in HMTs compared to two-dimensional (2D) culture of Huh-7 cells. Moreover, in drug testing assessments, HMTs showed higher sensitivity to hepatotoxins compared to 2D cultured Huh-7 cells. Furthermore, induction and inhibition potency of cytochrome P450 enzymes confirmed that the HMTs can be used for in vitro drug screening. CONCLUSION Overall, we developed a simple and scalable method for generation of liver micro-tissues, using Huh-7, with improved hepatic-specific functionality, which may represent a biologically relevant platform for drug studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Darakhshan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, 6714414971, Iran
| | - Ali Bidmeshki Pour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, 6714414971, Iran.
| | - Reza Kowsari-Esfahan
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Massoud Vosough
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, P.O. Box: 16635-148, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Montazeri
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Ghanian
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Baharvand
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, P.O. Box: 16635-148, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abbas Piryaei
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 19395-4719, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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29
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Meng D, Lei X, Li Y, Kong Y, Huang D, Zhang G. Three dimensional polyvinyl alcohol scaffolds modified with collagen for HepG2 cell culture. J Biomater Appl 2020; 35:459-470. [DOI: 10.1177/0885328220933505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The creation of in vitro functional hepatic tissue simulating micro environmental niche of the native liver is a keen area of research due to its demand in bioartificial liver. However, it is still unclear how to maintain benign cell function while achieving the sufficient cell quantity. In this work, we aim to prepare a novel scaffold for the culture of HepG2 cells, a liver cell line, by modifying polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffold with collagen (COL). PVA is a kind of synthetic biostable polymer with high hydrophilicity in the human body, has been widely used in the biomedical field. However, the use of PVA is limited in cell cultures due to lack of biologically active functional groups. In this study, amino silane (KH-550), glutaraldehyde and native type I collagen were used to modify three-dimensional PVA scaffold to establish a suitable composite scaffold for hepatocyte culture. Three types of composite scaffolds were prepared for different collagen content, named as PVA/COL (0.2%), PVA/COL (0.5%) and PVA/COL (0.8%), respectively. The composite scaffolds were characterized by SEM, XPS, FTIR, MS, porosity estimation and water contact angle measurement. The PVA/COL (0.8%) scaffolds had the highest collagen content of 12.13%. The composite scaffold showed high porosity with interconnected pores. Furthermore, the biocompatibility between HepG2 cells and scaffolds was evaluated by the ability of cell proliferation, albumin secretion, as well as urea synthesis. The coating of collagen on PVA scaffolds promoted hydrophilicity and HepG2 cell adhesion. Additionally, enhanced cell proliferation, increased albumin secretion and urea synthesis were observed in HepG2 cells growing on collagen-coated three-dimensional PVA scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Meng
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiongxin Lei
- Institute of Process Engineering, National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- Institute of Process Engineering, National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing, China
- Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingjun Kong
- Institute of Process Engineering, National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guifeng Zhang
- Institute of Process Engineering, National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing, China
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30
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Danoy M, Poulain S, Lereau-Bernier M, Kato S, Scheidecker B, Kido T, Miyajima A, Sakai Y, Plessy C, Leclerc E. Characterization of liver zonation-like transcriptomic patterns in HLCs derived from hiPSCs in a microfluidic biochip environment. Biotechnol Prog 2020; 36:e3013. [PMID: 32364651 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The liver zonation is an important phenomenon characterized by a gradient of several functions along the liver acinus. However, this gradient remains difficult to reproduce in in-vitro conditions, making the obtention of an in-vitro method to recapitulate the liver zonation a challenging issue. In this study, we evaluated the spatial evolution of the transcriptome profile of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiated toward hepatocytes-like cells (HLCs) phenotype in a microfluidic biochip environment. Cells collected at the inlet of the biochip, where the oxygen concentration is higher, were identified by the expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways related to cellular reorganization and cell proliferation. Cells collected in the middle and at the outlet of the biochips, where oxygen concentrations are lower, were characterized by the upregulation of genes involved in cellular detoxification processes (CYP450), PPAR signaling or arginine biosynthesis. A subset of 16 transcription factors (TFs) was extracted and identified as upstream regulators to HNF1A and PPARA. These TFs are also known as regulators to target genes engaged in the Wnt/βcatenin pathway, in the TGFβ/BMP/SMAD signaling, in the transition between epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET), in the homeostasis of lipids, bile acids and carbohydrates homeostasis, in drug metabolism, in the estrogen processing and in the oxidative stress response. Overall, the analysis allowed to confirm a partial zonation-like pattern in hiPSCs-derived HLCs in the microfluidic biochip environment. These results provide important insights into the reproduction of liver zonation in-vitro for a better understanding of the phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Danoy
- CNRS UMI 2820, Laboratory for Integrated Micro Mechatronic Systems, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Stéphane Poulain
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Division of Genomic Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Myriam Lereau-Bernier
- CNRS UMI 2820, Laboratory for Integrated Micro Mechatronic Systems, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachi Kato
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Division of Genomic Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Benedikt Scheidecker
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, graduate school of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taketomo Kido
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Therapy, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Miyajima
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Therapy, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Sakai
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, graduate school of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Charles Plessy
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Division of Genomic Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Eric Leclerc
- CNRS UMI 2820, Laboratory for Integrated Micro Mechatronic Systems, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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31
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Özkan A, Stolley D, Cressman ENK, McMillin M, DeMorrow S, Yankeelov TE, Rylander MN. The Influence of Chronic Liver Diseases on Hepatic Vasculature: A Liver-on-a-chip Review. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E487. [PMID: 32397454 PMCID: PMC7281532 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma, the cells and extracellular matrix of the liver undergo significant alteration in response to chronic injury. Recent literature has highlighted the critical, but less studied, role of the liver vasculature in the progression of chronic liver diseases. Recent advancements in liver-on-a-chip systems has allowed in depth investigation of the role that the hepatic vasculature plays both in response to, and progression of, chronic liver disease. In this review, we first introduce the structure, gradients, mechanical properties, and cellular composition of the liver and describe how these factors influence the vasculature. We summarize state-of-the-art vascularized liver-on-a-chip platforms for investigating biological models of chronic liver disease and their influence on the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells of the hepatic vasculature. We conclude with a discussion of how future developments in the field may affect the study of chronic liver diseases, and drug development and testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alican Özkan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Danielle Stolley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Erik N K Cressman
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew McMillin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Sharon DeMorrow
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Thomas E Yankeelov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Departments of Diagnostic Medicine, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Oncology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Marissa Nichole Rylander
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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32
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Wei J, Xia T, Chen W, Ran P, Chen M, Li X. Glucose and lipid metabolism screening models of hepatocyte spheroids after culture with injectable fiber fragments. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2020; 14:774-788. [PMID: 32285997 DOI: 10.1002/term.3042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
With the rise of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases, in vitro hepatic cell and tissue models play an essential role in the identification of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Up to now, three-dimensional (3D) culture models have rarely focused on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. In addition, primary human liver cells suffer from limited availability and interdonor difference for establishing reproducible models. Thus, in the current study, the most available human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) and primary hepatocytes from rats (rPH) were proposed to construct 3D spheroids using injectable fiber fragments with galactose grafts (gSF) as the substrate. rPH and HepG2 spheroids show strong cell-cell and cell-fiber fragment interactions to promote the cell viability, albumin, and urea syntheses. Compared with HepG2 spheroids, rPH spheroids indicate stronger glucose metabolism abilities in terms of glucose consumption, intracellular glycogen content, gluconeogenesis rate, and sensitivity to glucose modulator hormones like insulin and glucagon. On the other hand, HepG2 spheroids display strong lipid metabolism abilities in producing significantly higher levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride. Compared with those without fiber fragments, the gSF-supported 3D culture establishes effective models for in vitro glucose (rPH spheroids) and lipid metabolisms (HepG2 spheroids). The screening models are confirmed from the respective enzyme activities and gene expressions and show significantly higher sensitivity and clinically related responses to hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering drugs. Thus, the culture configuration demonstrates a predictable in vitro platform for defining glucose and lipid metabolism profiles and screening therapeutic agents for metabolism disorders like diabetes and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojun Wei
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China.,School of Bioscience and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Department of Pathology, Western Theater Command Air Force Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Weijia Chen
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pan Ran
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Maohua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
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33
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Ruoß M, Rebholz S, Weimer M, Grom-Baumgarten C, Athanasopulu K, Kemkemer R, Käß H, Ehnert S, Nussler AK. Development of Scaffolds with Adjusted Stiffness for Mimicking Disease-Related Alterations of Liver Rigidity. J Funct Biomater 2020; 11:E17. [PMID: 32183326 PMCID: PMC7151584 DOI: 10.3390/jfb11010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced liver toxicity is one of the most common reasons for the failure of drugs in clinical trials and frequent withdrawal from the market. Reasons for such failures include the low predictive power of in vivo studies, that is mainly caused by metabolic differences between humans and animals, and intraspecific variances. In addition to factors such as age and genetic background, changes in drug metabolism can also be caused by disease-related changes in the liver. Such metabolic changes have also been observed in clinical settings, for example, in association with a change in liver stiffness, a major characteristic of an altered fibrotic liver. For mimicking these changes in an in vitro model, this study aimed to develop scaffolds that represent the rigidity of healthy and fibrotic liver tissue. We observed that liver cells plated on scaffolds representing the stiffness of healthy livers showed a higher metabolic activity compared to cells plated on stiffer scaffolds. Additionally, we detected a positive effect of a scaffold pre-coated with fetal calf serum (FCS)-containing media. This pre-incubation resulted in increased cell adherence during cell seeding onto the scaffolds. In summary, we developed a scaffold-based 3D model that mimics liver stiffness-dependent changes in drug metabolism that may more easily predict drug interaction in diseased livers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Ruoß
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
| | - Silas Rebholz
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
| | - Marina Weimer
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
- Faculty of Applied Chemistry, Reutlingen University, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany; (K.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Carl Grom-Baumgarten
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
| | - Kiriaki Athanasopulu
- Faculty of Applied Chemistry, Reutlingen University, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany; (K.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Ralf Kemkemer
- Faculty of Applied Chemistry, Reutlingen University, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany; (K.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Hanno Käß
- Faculty of Basic Science, University of Applied Sciences Esslingen, 73728 Esslingen am Neckar, Germany;
| | - Sabrina Ehnert
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
| | - Andreas K. Nussler
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (S.R.); (M.W.); (C.G.-B.); (S.E.); (A.K.N.)
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Ruoß M, Vosough M, Königsrainer A, Nadalin S, Wagner S, Sajadian S, Huber D, Heydari Z, Ehnert S, Hengstler JG, Nussler AK. Towards improved hepatocyte cultures: Progress and limitations. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 138:111188. [PMID: 32045649 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatotoxicity is among the most frequent reasons for drug withdrawal from the market. Therefore, there is an urgent need for reliable predictive in vitro tests, which unfailingly identify hepatotoxic drug candidates, reduce drug development time, expenses and the number of test animals. Currently, human hepatocytes represent the gold standard. However, the use of hepatocytes is challenging since the cells are not constantly available and lose their metabolic activity in culture. To solve these problems many different approaches have been developed in the past decades. The aim of this review is to present these approaches and to discuss the possibilities and limitations as well as future opportunities and directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Ruoß
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Massoud Vosough
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alfred Königsrainer
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silvio Nadalin
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silvia Wagner
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sahar Sajadian
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Diana Huber
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zahra Heydari
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sabrina Ehnert
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Andreas K Nussler
- Department of Traumatology, Siegfried Weller Institute, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Fowler S, Chen WLK, Duignan DB, Gupta A, Hariparsad N, Kenny JR, Lai WG, Liras J, Phillips JA, Gan J. Microphysiological systems for ADME-related applications: current status and recommendations for system development and characterization. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:446-467. [PMID: 31932816 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00857h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, progress has been made on the development of microphysiological systems (MPS) for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) applications. Central to this progress has been proof of concept data generated by academic and industrial institutions followed by broader characterization studies, which provide evidence for scalability and applicability to drug discovery and development. In this review, we describe some of the advances made for specific tissue MPS and outline the desired functionality for such systems, which are likely to make them applicable for practical use in the pharmaceutical industry. Single organ MPS platforms will be valuable for modelling tissue-specific functions. However, dynamic organ crosstalk, especially in the context of disease or toxicity, can only be obtained with the use of inter-linked MPS models which will enable scientists to address questions at the intersection of pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy, or PK and toxicity. In the future, successful application of MPS platforms that closely mimic human physiology may ultimately reduce the need for animal models to predict ADME outcomes and decrease the overall risk and cost associated with drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Fowler
- Pharma Research and Early Development, F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - David B Duignan
- Department of Drug Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics & Bioanalysis, AbbVie Bioresearch Center, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Anshul Gupta
- Amgen Research, 360 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Niresh Hariparsad
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 50 Northern Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jane R Kenny
- DMPK, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco 94080, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Liras
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Inc, 1 Portland Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Jinping Gan
- Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization, Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA.
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Zhu Y, Shi Q, Peng Q, Gao Y, Yang T, Cheng Y, Wang H, Luo Y, Huang A, He TC, Fan J. A simplified 3D liver microsphere tissue culture model for hepatic cell signaling and drug-induced hepatotoxicity studies. Int J Mol Med 2019; 44:1653-1666. [PMID: 31485603 PMCID: PMC6777685 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a number of experimental models have been developed for liver research, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The present study attempted to develop a simple and effective 3‑dimensional mouse liver microsphere tissue culture (LMTC) model in vitro for the analysis of hepatic functions. Hepatic characteristics and potential applications of this model were compared with that of mouse model in vivo and mouse primary hepatocytes in vitro. Using freshly‑perfused mouse liver tissue passed through 80‑mesh sift strainer (sift80), it was demonstrated that under the optimal culture conditions, the sift80 microsphere tissue cultured in 2% bovine calf serum medium remained viable with marked proliferating cell nuclear antigen and anti‑Myc proto‑oncogene protein expression, exhibited normal hepatic functions including indocyanine green (ICG) uptake/release and periodic acid‑Schiff staining, and expressed hepatocyte‑specific genes for up to 2 weeks. The microsphere tissue was responsive to bone morphogenic protein 9 (BMP9) stimulation leading to upregulation of downstream targets of BMP9 signaling. Furthermore, 3 commonly‑used liver‑damaging drugs were indicated to effectively inhibit hepatic ICG uptake, and induce the expression of hepatotoxicity‑associated genes. Therefore, this simplified LMTC model may be a useful in vitro tissue culture model to investigate drug‑induced liver injury and metabolism, and hepatocyte‑based cell singling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Qiong Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Qi Peng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yue Gao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Ting Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yu Cheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Hao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yetao Luo
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases of The Ministry of Education of China, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400037, P.R. China
| | - Tong-Chuan He
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jiaming Fan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
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Kim JA, Hong S, Rhee WJ. Microfluidic three-dimensional cell culture of stem cells for high-throughput analysis. World J Stem Cells 2019; 11:803-816. [PMID: 31693013 PMCID: PMC6828593 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i10.803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the recent advances in stem cell engineering have gained a great deal of attention due to their high potential in clinical research, the applicability of stem cells for preclinical screening in the drug discovery process is still challenging due to difficulties in controlling the stem cell microenvironment and the limited availability of high-throughput systems. Recently, researchers have been actively developing and evaluating three-dimensional (3D) cell culture-based platforms using microfluidic technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip and organoid-on-a-chip platforms, and they have achieved promising breakthroughs in stem cell engineering. In this review, we start with a comprehensive discussion on the importance of microfluidic 3D cell culture techniques in stem cell research and their technical strategies in the field of drug discovery. In a subsequent section, we discuss microfluidic 3D cell culture techniques for high-throughput analysis for use in stem cell research. In addition, some potential and practical applications of organ-on-a-chip or organoid-on-a-chip platforms using stem cells as drug screening and disease models are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Ah Kim
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, South Korea
- Department of Bio-Analytical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, South Korea
| | - Soohyun Hong
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, South Korea
- Program in Biomicro System Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Won Jong Rhee
- Division of Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, South Korea
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, South Korea
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Deng J, Wei W, Chen Z, Lin B, Zhao W, Luo Y, Zhang X. Engineered Liver-on-a-Chip Platform to Mimic Liver Functions and Its Biomedical Applications: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E676. [PMID: 31591365 PMCID: PMC6843249 DOI: 10.3390/mi10100676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatology and drug development for liver diseases require in vitro liver models. Typical models include 2D planar primary hepatocytes, hepatocyte spheroids, hepatocyte organoids, and liver-on-a-chip. Liver-on-a-chip has emerged as the mainstream model for drug development because it recapitulates the liver microenvironment and has good assay robustness such as reproducibility. Liver-on-a-chip with human primary cells can potentially correlate clinical testing. Liver-on-a-chip can not only predict drug hepatotoxicity and drug metabolism, but also connect other artificial organs on the chip for a human-on-a-chip, which can reflect the overall effect of a drug. Engineering an effective liver-on-a-chip device requires knowledge of multiple disciplines including chemistry, fluidic mechanics, cell biology, electrics, and optics. This review first introduces the physiological microenvironments in the liver, especially the cell composition and its specialized roles, and then summarizes the strategies to build a liver-on-a-chip via microfluidic technologies and its biomedical applications. In addition, the latest advancements of liver-on-a-chip technologies are discussed, which serve as a basis for further liver-on-a-chip research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiu Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; (J.D.); (W.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Wenbo Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; (J.D.); (W.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Zongzheng Chen
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral research station, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China;
| | - Bingcheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; (J.D.); (W.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Weijie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; (J.D.); (W.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; (J.D.); (W.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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40
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Zhou Y, Shen JX, Lauschke VM. Comprehensive Evaluation of Organotypic and Microphysiological Liver Models for Prediction of Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1093. [PMID: 31616302 PMCID: PMC6769037 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major concern for the pharmaceutical industry and constitutes one of the most important reasons for the termination of promising drug development projects. Reliable prediction of DILI liability in preclinical stages is difficult, as current experimental model systems do not accurately reflect the molecular phenotype and functionality of the human liver. As a result, multiple drugs that passed preclinical safety evaluations failed due to liver toxicity in clinical trials or postmarketing stages in recent years. To improve the selection of molecules that are taken forward into the clinics, the development of more predictive in vitro systems that enable high-throughput screening of hepatotoxic liabilities and allow for investigative studies into DILI mechanisms has gained growing interest. Specifically, it became increasingly clear that the choice of cell types and culture method both constitute important parameters that affect the predictive power of test systems. In this review, we present current 3D culture paradigms for hepatotoxicity tests and critically evaluate their utility and performance for DILI prediction. In addition, we highlight possibilities of these emerging platforms for mechanistic evaluations of selected drug candidates and present current research directions towards the further improvement of preclinical liver safety tests. We conclude that organotypic and microphysiological liver systems have provided an important step towards more reliable DILI prediction. Furthermore, we expect that the increasing availability of comprehensive benchmarking studies will facilitate model dissemination that might eventually result in their regulatory acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Volker M. Lauschke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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41
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Chameettachal S, Yeleswarapu S, Sasikumar S, Shukla P, Hibare P, Bera AK, Bojedla SSR, Pati F. 3D Bioprinting: Recent Trends and Challenges. J Indian Inst Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-019-00113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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42
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Park D, Lee J, Chung JJ, Jung Y, Kim SH. Integrating Organs-on-Chips: Multiplexing, Scaling, Vascularization, and Innervation. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 38:99-112. [PMID: 31345572 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Organs-on-chips (OoCs) have attracted significant attention because they can be designed to mimic in vivo environments. Beyond constructing a single OoC, recent efforts have tried to integrate multiple OoCs to broaden potential applications such as disease modeling and drug discoveries. However, various challenges remain for integrating OoCs towards in vivo-like operation, such as incorporating various connections for integrating multiple OoCs. We review multiplexed OoCs and challenges they face: scaling, vascularization, and innervation. In our opinion, future OoCs will be constructed to have increased predictive power for in vivo phenomena and will ultimately become a mainstream tool for high quality biomedical and pharmaceutical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- DoYeun Park
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeseo Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Justin J Chung
- Biomaterials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngmee Jung
- Biomaterials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Hyun Kim
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea; Biomaterials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
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43
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Young AT, Rivera KR, Erb PD, Daniele MA. Monitoring of Microphysiological Systems: Integrating Sensors and Real-Time Data Analysis toward Autonomous Decision-Making. ACS Sens 2019; 4:1454-1464. [PMID: 30964652 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b01549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microphysiological systems replicate human organ function and are promising technologies for discovery of translatable biomarkers, pharmaceuticals, and regenerative therapies. Because microphysiological systems require complex microscale anatomical structures and heterogeneous cell populations, a major challenge remains to manufacture and operate these products with reproducible and standardized function. In this Perspective, three stages of microphysiological system monitoring, including process, development, and function, are assessed. The unique features and remaining technical challenges for the required sensors are discussed. Monitoring of microphysiological systems requires nondestructive, continuous biosensors and imaging techniques. With such tools, the extent of cellular and tissue development, as well as function, can be autonomously determined and optimized by correlating physical and chemical sensor outputs with markers of physiological performance. Ultimately, data fusion and analyses across process, development, and function monitors can be implemented to adopt microphysiological systems for broad research and commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn T. Young
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Kristina R. Rivera
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Patrick D. Erb
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Michael A. Daniele
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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44
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Acun A, Oganesyan R, Uygun BE. Liver Bioengineering: Promise, Pitfalls, and Hurdles to Overcome. CURRENT TRANSPLANTATION REPORTS 2019; 6:119-126. [PMID: 31289714 PMCID: PMC6615568 DOI: 10.1007/s40472-019-00236-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in liver bioengineering and cell therapy and future advancements to improve the field towards clinical applications. RECENT FINDINGS 3D printing, hydrogel-based tissue fabrication, and the use of native decellularized liver extracellular matrix as a scaffold are used to develop whole or partial liver substitutes. The current focus is on developing a functional liver graft through achieving a non-leaky endothelium and a fully constructed bile duct. Use of cell therapy as a treatment is less invasive and less costly compared to transplantation, however, lack of readily available cell sources with low or no immunogenicity and contradicting outcomes of clinical trials are yet to be overcome. SUMMARY Liver bioengineering is advancing rapidly through the development of in vitro and in vivo tissue and organ models. Although there are major challenges to overcome, through optimization of the current methods and successful integration of induced pluripotent stem cells, the development of readily available, patient-specific liver substitutes can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Acun
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Harvard Medical School, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ruben Oganesyan
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Harvard Medical School, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Basak E. Uygun
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Harvard Medical School, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Vorrink SU, Zhou Y, Ingelman-Sundberg M, Lauschke VM. Prediction of Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity Using Long-Term Stable Primary Hepatic 3D Spheroid Cultures in Chemically Defined Conditions. Toxicol Sci 2019; 163:655-665. [PMID: 29590495 PMCID: PMC5974779 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
High failure rates of drug candidates in the clinics, restricted-use warnings as well as withdrawals of drugs in postmarketing stages are of substantial concern for the pharmaceutical industry and drug-induced liver injury (DILI) constitutes one of the most frequent reasons for such safety failures. Importantly, as DILI cannot be accurately predicted using animal models, animal safety tests are commonly complemented with assessments in human in vitro systems. 3D spheroid cultures of primary human hepatocytes in chemically defined conditions, hereafter termed CD-spheroids, have recently emerged as a microphysiological model system in which hepatocytes retain their molecular phenotypes and hepatic functions for multiple weeks in culture. However, their predictive power for the detection of hepatotoxic liabilities has not been systematically assessed. Therefore, we here evaluated the hepatotoxicity of 123 drugs with or without direct implication in clinical DILI events. Importantly, using ATP quantifications as the single endpoint, the model accurately distinguished between hepatotoxic and nontoxic structural analogues and exceeded both sensitivity and specificity of all previously published in vitro assays at substantially lower exposure levels, successfully detecting 69% of all hepatotoxic compounds without producing any false positive results (100% specificity). Furthermore, the platform supports the culture of spheroids of primary hepatocytes from preclinical animal models, thereby allowing the identification of animal-specific toxicity events. We anticipate that CD-spheroids represent a powerful and versatile tool in drug discovery and preclinical drug development that can reliably flag hepatotoxic drug candidates and provide guidance for the selection of the most suitable animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine U Vorrink
- Section of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Yitian Zhou
- Section of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg
- Section of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Volker M Lauschke
- Section of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
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46
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Grant R, Hallett J, Forbes S, Hay D, Callanan A. Blended electrospinning with human liver extracellular matrix for engineering new hepatic microenvironments. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6293. [PMID: 31000735 PMCID: PMC6472345 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42627-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue engineering of a transplantable liver could provide an alternative to donor livers for transplant, solving the problem of escalating donor shortages. One of the challenges for tissue engineers is the extracellular matrix (ECM); a finely controlled in vivo niche which supports hepatocytes. Polymers and decellularized tissue scaffolds each provide some of the necessary biological cues for hepatocytes, however, neither alone has proved sufficient. Enhancing microenvironments using bioactive molecules allows researchers to create more appropriate niches for hepatocytes. We combined decellularized human liver tissue with electrospun polymers to produce a niche for hepatocytes and compared the human liver ECM to its individual components; Collagen I, Laminin-521 and Fibronectin. The resulting scaffolds were validated using THLE-3 hepatocytes. Immunohistochemistry confirmed retention of proteins in the scaffolds. Mechanical testing demonstrated significant increases in the Young's Modulus of the decellularized ECM scaffold; providing significantly stiffer environments for hepatocytes. Each scaffold maintained hepatocyte growth, albumin production and influenced expression of key hepatic genes, with the decellularized ECM scaffolds exerting an influence which is not recapitulated by individual ECM components. Blended protein:polymer scaffolds provide a viable, translatable niche for hepatocytes and offers a solution to current obstacles in disease modelling and liver tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon Grant
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - John Hallett
- Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Stuart Forbes
- Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - David Hay
- Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Anthony Callanan
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
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47
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Kankala RK, Wang SB, Chen AZ. Microengineered Organ-on-a-chip Platforms towards Personalized Medicine. Curr Pharm Des 2019; 24:5354-5366. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190222143542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Current preclinical drug evaluation strategies that are explored to predict the pharmacological parameters,
as well as toxicological issues, utilize traditional oversimplified cell cultures and animal models. However,
these traditional approaches are time-consuming, and cannot reproduce the functions of the complex biological
tissue architectures. On the other hand, the obtained data from animal models cannot be precisely extrapolated to
humans because it sometimes results in the distinct safe starting doses for clinical trials due to vast differences in
their genomes. To address these limitations, the microengineered, biomimetic organ-on-a-chip platforms fabricated
using advanced materials that are interconnected using the microfluidic circuits, can stanchly reiterate or
mimic the complex tissue-organ level structures including the cellular architecture and physiology, compartmentalization
and interconnectivity of human organ platforms. These innovative and cost-effective systems potentially
enable the prediction of the responses toward pharmaceutical compounds and remarkable advances in
materials and microfluidics technology, which can rapidly progress the drug development process. In this review,
we emphasize the integration of microfluidic models with the 3D simulations from tissue engineering to fabricate
organ-on-a-chip platforms, which explicitly fulfill the demand of creating the robust models for preclinical testing
of drugs. At first, we give a brief overview of the limitations associated with the current drug development pipeline
that includes drug screening methods, in vitro molecular assays, cell culture platforms and in vivo models.
Further, we discuss various organ-on-a-chip platforms, highlighting their benefits and performance in the preclinical
stages. Next, we aim to emphasize their current applications toward pharmaceutical benefits including the
drug screening as well as toxicity testing, and advances in personalized precision medicine as well as potential
challenges for their commercialization. We finally recapitulate with the lessons learned and the outlook highlighting
the future directions for accelerating the clinical translation of delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjith Kumar Kankala
- Institute of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Shi-Bin Wang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Ai-Zheng Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Biochemical Technology (Huaqiao University), Xiamen 361021, China
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48
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Theobald J, Abu El Maaty MA, Kusterer N, Wetterauer B, Wink M, Cheng X, Wölfl S. In vitro metabolic activation of vitamin D3 by using a multi-compartment microfluidic liver-kidney organ on chip platform. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4616. [PMID: 30874583 PMCID: PMC6420623 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40851-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Organ-on-chip platforms provide models that allow the representation of human physiological processes in cell-based miniaturized systems. Potential pre-clinical applications include drug testing and toxicity studies. Here we describe the use of a multi-compartment micro-fluidic chip to recapitulate hepatic vitamin D metabolism (vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D) and renal bio-activation (25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) in humans. In contrast to cultivation in conventional tissue culture settings, on-chip cultivation of HepG2 and RPTEC cells in interconnected chambers, used to mimic the liver and kidneys, respectively, resulted in the enhanced expression of vitamin D metabolizing enzymes (CYP2R1, CYP27B1 and CYP24A1). Pump-driven flow of vitamin D3-containing medium through the microfluidic chip produced eluate containing vitamin D3 metabolites. LC-MSMS showed a strong accumulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The chip eluate induced the expression of differentiation markers in HL-60 (acute myeloid leukemia) cells, assessed by qPCR and FACS analysis, in a manner similar to treatment with reference standards indicating the presence of fully activated 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, although the latter was not detected in the eluate by LC-MSMS. Interestingly, 25-hydroxyvitamin D by itself led to weak activation of HL-60 cells suggesting that 25-hydroxyvitamin D is also an active metabolite. Our experiments demonstrate that complex metabolic interactions can be reconstructed outside the human body using dedicated organ-on-chip platforms. We therefore propose that such systems may be used to mimic the in vivo metabolism of various micronutrients and xenobiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannick Theobald
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mohamed A Abu El Maaty
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nico Kusterer
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Wetterauer
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Wink
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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49
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Liu X, Zhou L, Heng P, Xiao J, Lv J, Zhang Q, Hickey ME, Tu Q, Wang J. Lecithin doped electrospun poly(lactic acid)-thermoplastic polyurethane fibers for hepatocyte viability improvement. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2019; 175:264-271. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.09.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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50
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Sung JH, Wang YI, Narasimhan Sriram N, Jackson M, Long C, Hickman JJ, Shuler ML. Recent Advances in Body-on-a-Chip Systems. Anal Chem 2019; 91:330-351. [PMID: 30472828 PMCID: PMC6687466 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jong Hwan Sung
- Department of Chemical Engineering , Hongik University , Seoul , 04066 , Republic of Korea
| | - Ying I Wang
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | | | - Max Jackson
- Hesperos, Inc. Orlando , Florida 32836 , United States
| | | | - James J Hickman
- Hesperos, Inc. Orlando , Florida 32836 , United States
- NanoScience Technology Center , University of Central Florida , Orlando , Florida 32828 , United States
| | - Michael L Shuler
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
- Hesperos, Inc. Orlando , Florida 32836 , United States
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
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