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Cools L, Dastjerd MK, Smout A, Merens V, Yang Y, Reynaert H, Messaoudi N, Smet VD, Kumar M, Verhulst S, Verfaillie C, van Grunsven LA. Human iPSC-derived liver co-culture spheroids to model liver fibrosis. Biofabrication 2024; 16:035032. [PMID: 38865994 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad5766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The lack of adequate humanin vitromodels that recapitulate the cellular composition and response of the human liver to injury hampers the development of anti-fibrotic drugs. The goal of this study was to develop a human spheroid culture model to study liver fibrosis by using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived liver cells. iPSCs were independently differentiated towards hepatoblasts (iHepatoblasts), hepatic stellate cells (iHSCs), endothelial cells (iECs) and macrophages (iMΦ), before assembly into free floating spheroids by culturing cells in 96-well U-bottom plates and orbital shaking for up to 21 days to allow further maturation. Through transcriptome analysis, we show further maturation of iECs and iMΦ, the differentiation of the iHepatoblasts towards hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps) and the inactivation of the iHSCs by the end of the 3D culture. Moreover, these cultures display a similar expression of cell-specific marker genes (CYP3A4, PDGFRβ, CD31andCD68) and sensitivity to hepatotoxicity as spheroids made using freshly isolated primary human liver cells. Furthermore, we show the functionality of the iHeps and the iHSCs by mimicking liver fibrosis through iHep-induced iHSC activation, using acetaminophen. In conclusion, we have established a reproducible human iPSC-derived liver culture model that can be used to mimic fibrosisin vitroas a replacement of primary human liver derived 3D models. The model can be used to investigate pathways involved in fibrosis development and to identify new targets for chronic liver disease therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cools
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mina Kazemzadeh Dastjerd
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ayla Smout
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Merens
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yuwei Yang
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Reynaert
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nouredin Messaoudi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent De Smet
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Stem Cell Institute Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefaan Verhulst
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Stem Cell Institute Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leo A van Grunsven
- Liver Cell Biology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
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Feng L, Wang Y, Fu Y, Li T, He G. Stem Cell-Based Strategies: The Future Direction of Bioartificial Liver Development. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2024; 20:601-616. [PMID: 38170319 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10672-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) results from severe liver damage or end-stage liver disease. It is extremely fatal and causes serious health and economic burdens worldwide. Once ALF occurs, liver transplantation (LT) is the only definitive and recommended treatment; however, LT is limited by the scarcity of liver grafts. Consequently, the clinical use of bioartificial liver (BAL) has been proposed as a treatment strategy for ALF. Human primary hepatocytes are an ideal cell source for these methods. However, their high demand and superior viability prevent their widespread use. Hence, finding alternatives that meet the seed cell quality and quantity requirements is imperative. Stem cells with self-renewing, immunogenic, and differentiative capacities are potential cell sources. MSCs and its secretomes encompass a spectrum of beneficial properties, such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-ROS (reactive oxygen species), anti-apoptotic, pro-metabolomic, anti-fibrogenesis, and pro-regenerative attributes. This review focused on the recent status and future directions of stem cell-based strategies in BAL for ALF. Additionally, we discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with promoting such strategies for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000, Guizhou, China.
| | - Yi Wang
- Shanxi Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030013, Shanxi, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510140, Guangdong, China.
| | - Guolin He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
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Abbas N, You K, Getachew A, Wu F, Hussain M, Huang X, Chen Y, Pan T, Li Y. Kupffer cells abrogate homing and repopulation of allogeneic hepatic progenitors in injured liver site. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:48. [PMID: 38378583 PMCID: PMC10877762 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03656-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allogeneic hepatocyte transplantation is an emerging approach to treat acute liver defects. However, durable engraftment of the transplanted cells remains a daunting task, as they are actively cleared by the recipient's immune system. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the innate or adaptive immune cells-derived responses against allogeneic transplanted hepatic cells is the key to rationalize cell-based therapies. METHODS Here, we induced an acute inflammatory regenerative niche (3-96 h) on the surface of the liver by the application of cryo-injury (CI) to systematically evaluate the innate immune response against transplanted allogeneic hepatic progenitors in a sustained micro-inflammatory environment. RESULTS The resulting data highlighted that the injured site was significantly repopulated by alternating numbers of innate immune cells, including neutrophils, monocytes and Kupffer cells (KCs), from 3 to 96 h. The transplanted allo-HPs, engrafted 6 h post-injury, were collectively eliminated by the innate immune response within 24 h of transplantation. Selective depletion of the KCs demonstrated a delayed recruitment of monocytes from day 2 to day 6. In addition, the intrasplenic engraftment of the hepatic progenitors 54 h post-transplantation was dismantled by KCs, while a time-dependent better survival and translocation of the transplanted cells into the injured site could be observed in samples devoid of KCs. CONCLUSION Overall, this study provides evidence that KCs ablation enables a better survival and integration of allo-HPs in a sustained liver inflammatory environment, having implications for rationalizing the cell-based therapeutic interventions against liver defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasir Abbas
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health (CRMH), Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kai You
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Anteneh Getachew
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Feima Wu
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Muzammal Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Xinping Huang
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Tingcai Pan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yinxiong Li
- Center for Health Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
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Li P, Miyamoto D, Huang Y, Adachi T, Hidaka M, Hara T, Soyama A, Matsushima H, Imamura H, Kanetaka K, Gu W, Eguchi S. Three-dimensional human bile duct formation from chemically induced human liver progenitor cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1249769. [PMID: 37671190 PMCID: PMC10475568 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1249769] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The intrahepatic bile ducts (BDs) play an important role in the modification and transport of bile, and the integration between the BD and hepatocytes is the basis of the liver function. However, the lack of a source of cholangiocytes limits in vitro research. The aim of the present study was to establish three-dimensional BDs combined with human mature hepatocytes (hMHs) in vitro using chemically induced human liver progenitor cells (hCLiPs) derived from hMHs. Methods: In this study, we formed functional BDs from hCLiPs using hepatocyte growth factor and extracellular matrix. BDs expressed the typical biliary markers CK-7, GGT1, CFTR and EpCAM and were able to transport the bile-like substance rhodamine 123 into the lumen. The established three-dimensional BDs were cocultured with hMHs. These cells were able to bind to the BDs, and the bile acid analog CLF was transported from the culture medium through the hMHs and accumulated in the lumen of the BDs. The BDs generated from the hCLiPs showed a BD function and a physiological system (e.g., the transport of bile within the liver) when they were connected to the hMHs. Conclusion: We present a novel in vitro three-dimensional BD combined with hMHs for study, drug screening and the therapeutic modulation of the cholangiocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilin Li
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Daisuke Miyamoto
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tomohiko Adachi
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masaaki Hidaka
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takanobu Hara
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Akihiko Soyama
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hajime Matsushima
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hajime Imamura
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kengo Kanetaka
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Weili Gu
- Department of Surgery, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Susumu Eguchi
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
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Yang X, Chen D, Sun Q, Wang Y, Xia Y, Yang J, Lin C, Dang X, Cen Z, Liang D, Wei R, Xu Z, Xi G, Xue G, Ye C, Wang LP, Zou P, Wang SQ, Rivera-Fuentes P, Püntener S, Chen Z, Liu Y, Zhang J, Zhao Y. A live-cell image-based machine learning strategy for reducing variability in PSC differentiation systems. Cell Discov 2023; 9:53. [PMID: 37280224 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00543-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into diverse functional cell types provides a promising solution to support drug discovery, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. However, functional cell differentiation is currently limited by the substantial line-to-line and batch-to-batch variabilities, which severely impede the progress of scientific research and the manufacturing of cell products. For instance, PSC-to-cardiomyocyte (CM) differentiation is vulnerable to inappropriate doses of CHIR99021 (CHIR) that are applied in the initial stage of mesoderm differentiation. Here, by harnessing live-cell bright-field imaging and machine learning (ML), we realize real-time cell recognition in the entire differentiation process, e.g., CMs, cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs), PSC clones, and even misdifferentiated cells. This enables non-invasive prediction of differentiation efficiency, purification of ML-recognized CMs and CPCs for reducing cell contamination, early assessment of the CHIR dose for correcting the misdifferentiation trajectory, and evaluation of initial PSC colonies for controlling the start point of differentiation, all of which provide a more invulnerable differentiation method with resistance to variability. Moreover, with the established ML models as a readout for the chemical screen, we identify a CDK8 inhibitor that can further improve the cell resistance to the overdose of CHIR. Together, this study indicates that artificial intelligence is able to guide and iteratively optimize PSC differentiation to achieve consistently high efficiency across cell lines and batches, providing a better understanding and rational modulation of the differentiation process for functional cell manufacturing in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Daichao Chen
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiushi Sun
- Beijing Key Lab of Traffic Data Analysis and Mining, School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xia
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyu Yang
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Lin
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zimu Cen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dongdong Liang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Wei
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ze Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangyin Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Xue
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Can Ye
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Peng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Zou
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shi-Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Salome Püntener
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zhixing Chen
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Biomedical Imaging Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Beijing Key Lab of Traffic Data Analysis and Mining, School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jue Zhang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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