Liver three-dimensional cellular models for high-throughput chemical testing

Authors:
Shu Yang , Masato Ooka , Ryan Jared Margolis , Menghang Xia 
In:
Source: Cell Rep
Publication Date: (2023)
Issue: 3: 100432
Research Area:
Toxicology
Drug Discovery
Cells used in publication:
Hep G2
Species: human
Tissue Origin: liver
Hepatocyte, human
Species: human
Tissue Origin: liver
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPS), human
Species: human
Tissue Origin:
Experiment


Abstract

Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a leading cause of drug withdrawal from the market. High-throughput screening utilizing in vitro liver models is critical for early-stage liver toxicity testing. Traditionally, monolayer human hepatocytes or immortalized liver cell lines (e.g., HepG2, HepaRG) have been used to test compound liver toxicity. However, monolayer-cultured liver cells sometimes lack the metabolic competence to mimic the in vivo condition and are therefore largely appropriate for short-term toxicological testing. They may not, however, be adequate for identifying chronic and recurring liver damage caused by drugs. Recently, several three-dimensional (3D) liver models have been developed. These 3D liver models better recapitulate normal liver function and metabolic capacity. This review describes the current development of 3D liver models that can be used to test drugs/chemicals for their pharmacologic and toxicologic effects, as well as the advantages and limitations of using these 3D liver models for high-throughput screening.