Abstract

Generating Human Liver Spheres From Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Application

David Hay, Principal Investigator, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh

Liver disease is an escalating global health issue. While liver transplantation is an effective mode of therapy, there are a shortage of donor organs. Therefore, developing renewable sources of human liver tissue is important for the clinic. Pluripotent stem cell-derived liver tissue represents a potential alternative to cadaver derived hepatocytes and whole organ transplant. At present, two-dimensional differentiation procedures deliver tissue that is hepatocyte like, but lacks certain functions and long-term stability. Efforts to overcome these limiting factors have focussed on building three-dimensional (3D) cellular aggregates. Although enabling for the field, their widespread application has been limited due to cost and overreliance on undefined biological components. Our studies focused on the development of self assembled 3D liver tissue under defined conditions. In vitro generated 3D tissues exhibited stable phenotype, providing an attractive resource for the clinic and long-term in vitro modelling studies. Our most recent tissue engineering advances will be discussed at the meeting.