Ready-to-use 3D Hepatic Stellate-Endothelial Cell Spheroids

Activation of the quiescent hepatic stellate cell (HSteC) to a phenotype characterized by increased proliferation, migration, and synthesis of extracellular matrix is considered the pivotal event leading to fibrosis [1]. In addition to HSteC activation, another change that precedes fibrosis is capillarization of the hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSEC) [2]. In physiological conditions, HSEC maintain hepatic stellate cell quiescence, thereby inhibiting intrahepatic vasoconstriction and fibrosis development [2]. When capillarized, however, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells lose their capacity to inactivate hepatic stellate cells, thus promoting fibrogenesis and intrahepatic vasoconstriction [2]. Liver fibrogenesis and angiogenesis, therefore, are closely linked. For example, liver fibrosis enhances angiogenesis, and in turn, liver angiogenesis aggravates liver fibrosis. To investigate the signaling crosstalk between these cellular events, ScienCell has developed ready-to-use 3D hepatic stellate-endothelial cell spheroids (SP3D-HSteECS) comprised of hepatic stellate cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells at a 1:4 ratio. These spheroids are ready for experiments at 24 hours after thawing. Furthermore, immunostaining of the co-culture spheroids reveals the presence of vimentin-positive stellate cells and von willebrand factor (VWF)-positive sinusoidal endothelial cells. Furthermore, the spheroids also contain the activated stellate cell population marked by the smooth muscle actin (SMA) staining.