Researchers at Colorado State University have developed electrospun nanofibers which include specific compositions to induce high maturity in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs). This innovation induces HLCs to become more mature when compared to the standard Geltrex-coated glass. With the more mature HLCs, studies to understand metabolism and toxicity screening and disease modeling better mimic hepatocyte behavior than the current state of the art.
Current in vitro liver models face limitations due to scarce primary human hepatocytes (PHHs). While induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) offer an alternative, they require further maturation to achieve adult primary human hepatocyte (PHH) characteristics and have shortcomings when it comes to culturing HLCs.
The technology utilizes electrospun nanofibers composed of various biocompatible materials including rat tail collagen I, chitosan and porcine decellularized liver ECM (PLECM). These nanofibers then are used to create a three-dimensional culture environment that better mimics the natural liver ECM compared to traditional 2D culture surfaces.
Yang, et al. “Biochemical and Biophysical Properties of Extracellular Matrix Nanofibers Modulate iPSC derived Human Hepatocyte Maturation”
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Matt Kipper
Salman Khetani
Yang Yuan
Liszt Coutinho Madruga
Steve Foster
Steve.Foster@colostate.edu
970-491-7100