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Leaker BD, Wang Y, Tam J, Anderson RR. Analysis of culture and RNA isolation methods for precision-cut liver slices from cirrhotic rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15349. [PMID: 38961190 PMCID: PMC11222550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66235-2] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) are increasingly used as a model to investigate anti-fibrotic therapies. However, many studies use PCLS from healthy animals treated with pro-fibrotic stimuli in culture, which reflects only the early stages of fibrosis. The effects of different culture conditions on PCLS from cirrhotic animals has not been well characterized and there is no consensus on optimal methods. In this study, we report a method for the collection and culture of cirrhotic PCLS and compare the effect of common culture conditions on viability, function, and gene expression. Additionally, we compared three methods of RNA isolation and identified a protocol with high yield and purity. We observed significantly increased albumin production when cultured with insulin-transferrin-selenium and dexamethasone, and when incubated on a rocking platform. Culturing with insulin-transferrin-selenium and dexamethasone maintained gene expression closer to the levels in fresh slices. However, despite stable viability and function up to 4 days, we found significant changes in expression of key genes by day 2. Interestingly, we also observed that cirrhotic PCLS maintain viability in culture longer than slices from healthy animals. Due to the influence of matrix stiffness on fibrosis and hepatocellular function, it is important to evaluate prospective anti-fibrotic therapies in a platform that preserves tissue biomechanics. PCLS from cirrhotic animals represent a promising tool for the development of treatments for chronic liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D Leaker
- Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Thier Research Building, MGH, 55 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yongtao Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua Tam
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Thier Research Building, MGH, 55 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Rox Anderson
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Thier Research Building, MGH, 55 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Ali AS, Wu D, Bannach-Brown A, Dhamrait D, Berg J, Tolksdorf B, Lichtenstein D, Dressler C, Braeuning A, Kurreck J, Hülsemann M. 3D bioprinting of liver models: A systematic scoping review of methods, bioinks, and reporting quality. Mater Today Bio 2024; 26:100991. [PMID: 38558773 PMCID: PMC10978534 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.100991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Effective communication is crucial for broad acceptance and applicability of alternative methods in 3R biomedical research and preclinical testing. 3D bioprinting is used to construct intricate biological structures towards functional liver models, specifically engineered for deployment as alternative models in drug screening, toxicological investigations, and tissue engineering. Despite a growing number of reviews in this emerging field, a comprehensive study, systematically assessing practices and reporting quality for bioprinted liver models is missing. Methods In this systematic scoping review we systematically searched MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid) and BioRxiv for studies published prior to June 2nd, 2022. We extracted data on methodological conduct, applied bioinks, the composition of the printed model, performed experiments and model applications. Records were screened for eligibility and data were extracted from included articles by two independent reviewers from a panel of seven domain experts specializing in bioprinting and liver biology. We used RAYYAN for the screening process and SyRF for data extraction. We used R for data analysis, and R and Graphpad PRISM for visualization. Results Through our systematic database search we identified 1042 records, from which 63 met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this systematic scoping review. Our findings revealed that extrusion-based printing, in conjunction with bioinks composed of natural components, emerged as the predominant printing technique in the bioprinting of liver models. Notably, the HepG2 hepatoma cell line was the most frequently employed liver cell type, despite acknowledged limitations. Furthermore, 51% of the printed models featured co-cultures with non-parenchymal cells to enhance their complexity. The included studies offered a variety of techniques for characterizing these liver models, with their primary application predominantly focused on toxicity testing. Among the frequently analyzed liver markers, albumin and urea stood out. Additionally, Cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms, primarily CYP3A and CYP1A, were assessed, and select studies employed nuclear receptor agonists to induce CYP activity. Conclusion Our systematic scoping review offers an evidence-based overview and evaluation of the current state of research on bioprinted liver models, representing a promising and innovative technology for creating alternative organ models. We conducted a thorough examination of both the methodological and technical facets of model development and scrutinized the reporting quality within the realm of bioprinted liver models. This systematic scoping review can serve as a valuable template for systematically evaluating the progress of organ model development in various other domains. The transparently derived evidence presented here can provide essential support to the research community, facilitating the adaptation of technological advancements, the establishment of standards, and the enhancement of model robustness. This is particularly crucial as we work toward the long-term objective of establishing new approach methods as reliable alternatives to animal testing, with extensive and versatile applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S.M. Ali
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Dongwei Wu
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Bannach-Brown
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) @Charité, QUEST Center for Responsible Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diyal Dhamrait
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) @Charité, QUEST Center for Responsible Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Berg
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatrice Tolksdorf
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Dajana Lichtenstein
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department Food Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Corinna Dressler
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Medical Library, Germany
| | - Albert Braeuning
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department Food Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Kurreck
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Maren Hülsemann
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) @Charité, QUEST Center for Responsible Research, Berlin, Germany
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Liu Y, Ge Y, Wu Y, Feng Y, Liu H, Cao W, Xie J, Zhang J. High-Voltage Electrostatic Field Hydrogel Microsphere 3D Culture System Improves Viability and Liver-like Properties of HepG2 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1081. [PMID: 38256154 PMCID: PMC10816196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021081] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) hepatocyte models have become a research hotspot for evaluating drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. Compared to two-dimensional (2D) cultures, 3D cultures are better at mimicking the morphology and microenvironment of hepatocytes in vivo. However, commonly used 3D culture techniques are not suitable for high-throughput drug screening (HTS) due to their high cost, complex handling, and inability to simulate cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. This article describes a method for rapid and reproducible 3D cell cultures with ECM-cell interactions based on 3D culture instrumentation to provide more efficient HTS. We developed a microsphere preparation based on a high-voltage electrostatic (HVE) field and used sodium alginate- and collagen-based hydrogels as scaffolds for 3D cultures of HepG2 cells. The microsphere-generating device enables the rapid and reproducible preparation of bioactive hydrogel microspheres. This 3D culture system exhibited better cell viability, heterogeneity, and drug-metabolizing activity than 2D and other 3D culture models, and the long-term culture characteristics of this system make it suitable for predicting long-term liver toxicity. This system improves the overall applicability of HepG2 spheroids in safety assessment studies, and this simple and controllable high-throughput-compatible method shows potential for use in drug toxicity screening assays and mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Yang Ge
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Yanfan Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Yongtong Feng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Han Liu
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Wei Cao
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Jinsong Xie
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
| | - Jingzhong Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; (Y.G.); (Y.F.); (H.L.); (W.C.); (J.X.)
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
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Fanizza F, Boeri L, Donnaloja F, Perottoni S, Forloni G, Giordano C, Albani D. Development of an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Liver-on-a-Chip Assessed with an Alzheimer's Disease Drug. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023. [PMID: 37318190 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Liver-related drug metabolism is a key aspect of pharmacokinetics and possible toxicity. From this perspective, the availability of advanced in vitro models for drug testing is still an open need, also to the end of reducing the burden of in vivo experiments. In this scenario, organ-on-a-chip is gaining attention as it couples a state-of-the art in vitro approach to the recapitulation of key in vivo physiological features such as fluidodynamics and a tri-dimensional cytoarchitecture. We implemented a novel liver-on-a-chip (LoC) device based on an innovative dynamic device (MINERVA 2.0) where functional hepatocytes (iHep) have been encapsulated into a 3D hydrogel matrix interfaced through a porous membrane with endothelial cells (iEndo)]. Both lines were derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and the LoC was functionally assessed with donepezil, a drug approved for Alzheimer's disease therapy. The presence of iEndo and a 3D microenvironment enhanced the expression of liver-specific physiologic functions as in iHep, after 7 day perfusion, we noticed an increase of albumin, urea production, and cytochrome CYP3A4 expression compared to the iHep static culture. In particular, for donepezil kinetics, a computational fluid dynamic study conducted to assess the amount of donepezil diffused into the LoC indicated that the molecule should be able to pass through the iEndo and reach the target iHep construct. Then, we performed experiments of donepezil kinetics that confirmed the numerical simulations. Overall, our iPSC-based LoC reproduced the in vivo physiological microenvironment of the liver and was suitable for potential hepatotoxic screening studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fanizza
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Lucia Boeri
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Francesca Donnaloja
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Simone Perottoni
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan 20156, Italy
| | - Carmen Giordano
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Diego Albani
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan 20156, Italy
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