Liver Organoids in Tissue Engineering: Applications and Future Prospects
Liver Organoids in Tissue Engineering: Applications and Future Prospects
Mobina Alamdari,1,*Safoora Pakizehkar,2
1. 1. Bachelor’s student, Microbiology group, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 2. Research institute for Endocrine science, Shahid Beheshti University
Introduction: Liver tissue engineering has become a pivotal area in regenerative medicine, offering new solutions for the increasing demand for liver transplants and providing more accurate models for liver disease research. Organoid technology, which involves the creation of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that replicate the structure and function of organs, has gained significant traction in this field. These liver organoids, derived from stem cells, possess the ability to mimic the liver’s complex architecture and metabolic functions, making them invaluable for studying liver diseases, testing drugs, and potentially advancing liver regeneration therapies
Methods: Liver organoids are developed by culturing pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a 3D extracellular matrix. These cells are exposed to specific growth factors and signaling molecules that drive their differentiation into liver-specific cells, such as hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. The 3D matrix supports the self-organization of these cells into tissue-like structures that closely mimic the liver's native architecture.
A key advancement in this process is the incorporation of endothelial cells to create vascular structures within the organoids, enhancing their survival and function. After formation, the organoids undergo a maturation phase, during which their liver-like functions—such as metabolic activity and bile production—are evaluated using various functional assays.
Results: Liver organoids have demonstrated significant potential in various applications, particularly in the modeling of liver diseases and in drug testing. Compared to traditional 2D cell cultures, liver organoids provide a more accurate representation of liver function and have been successfully used to model a range of liver conditions, including genetic disorders, infections, and cancers. For example, organoids derived from patient-specific iPSCs have been utilized to study the mechanisms of genetic liver diseases, providing valuable insights into disease progression and potential treatments.
In the context of drug testing, liver organoids offer a reliable platform for evaluating drug efficacy and toxicity. Their ability to closely mimic human liver functions, including drug metabolism and detoxification, makes them particularly valuable for preclinical drug screening, reducing the dependence on animal models and improving the relevance of findings to human physiology
Conclusion: Organoid technology represents a major advancement in liver tissue engineering, offering a versatile platform for disease modeling, drug testing, and potentially for regenerative medicine applications. While significant progress has been made, challenges such as scaling up production and achieving full maturation of the organoids remain. Ongoing research aims to improve culture conditions, enhance vascularization, and integrate additional cell types to create more complex and fully functional liver organoids. As this technology continues to evolve, it holds the potential to revolutionize liver disease treatment and may provide a viable alternative to liver transplantation, thereby improving outcomes for patients with liver conditions