Abstract

3D Liver Spheroids for In Vitro Modeling

Feng Li, Senior Scientist, Development, Corning Life Sciences

3D liver spheroids made from Primary Human Hepatocytes (PHHs) or co-culture of PHH and Non Parenchymal Cells (NPCs) are being adapted to in vitro assays for liver safety assessment and disease modeling. However, there is a lack of consensus on the criteria and qualifications of these primary cells in order to standardize these novel 3D assays. We have performed qualification studies for multiple lots of PHHs using a standard protocol in Corning Spheroid Microplates. These PHHs can be used to establish PHH only spheroids or co-culture liver spheroids with purified NPCs such as Kupffer cells. Our results showed that inflammatory responses were recapitulated successfully in the co-culture spheroids. Additional characterizations and assay development efforts also aimed at understanding the variations of NPCs in spheroid culture made of different liver cell compositions. These information should benefit researchers that are interested in applying 3D liver models. In summary, characterization, validation and standardization of liver spheroid culture are key aspects to consider for successful implementation.