Ready-to-use 3D Human Mini Liver Spheroids

The liver is a vital metabolic organ and its functional unit is termed hepatic lobule, which is comprised of hexagonally-arranged hepatocytes innervated by the hepatic sinusoids. The liver has a multi-dimensional role, including protein synthesis, nutrient storage, bile production and bilirubin metabolism. Another key hepatic function is the clearance of first pass doses of orallyabsorbed substances, such as drugs and xenobiotics. Drug-induced hepatoxicity remains a major concern for pharmaceutical industries. Presently, 2D culture of primary hepatocytes is the gold standard for hepatotoxicity testing. This approach, however, is limited by factors such as poor proliferative capacity of primary hepatocytes and their tendency to rapidly dedifferentiate in 2D culture. Furthermore, the cellular diversity and liver architecture are not taken into consideration. The crosstalk between hepatocytes and the non-parenchymal cells in the liver, such as sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatic stellate cells, significantly influences hepatic function and the accuracy of predictive hepatotoxicity testing.

To provide an in vitro liver model that better reflects hepatic function physiologically, ScienCell has developed ready-to-use human mini liver spheroids comprised of human hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The co-culture of these main hepatic cell types allows the functional maintenance of cells over time due to a more native, three-dimensional (3D) architecture. These spheroids are ready for experiments within 24-48 hours of thawing, and are an excellent in vitro model for studying liver function and for the examination of hepatotoxicity.