Characterization of hepatic-organoid cultures

Abstract

Small hepatocytes (SHs) are “committed progenitor cells” that can further differentiate into mature hepatocytes (MHs). SHs can proliferate to form colonies, and the maturation of SHs occurs with the alteration of the cell shape from small and flat to large and rising/piled-up. The hepatic organoids consisting of rising/piled-up cells possess highly differentiated functions like those of MHs and anastomosing networks of bile canaliculi (BC) are developed. The cells can make bile, secrete it into BC, and the bile can be carried without leaking. Thus, the organoids consist of polarized hepatocytes and possess biochemical and physiological functions as hepatic tissue.

Keywords::

• Hepatic organoid
• stem/progenitor cells
• small hepatocytes
• differentiation/maturation
• polarity
• extracellular matrix
• hepatic nonparenchymal cells
• bile canaliculi

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Naoki Tanimizu, Ph.D., for valuable discussion and also express their thanks to Ms. Minako Kuwano and Yumiko Tsukamoto for technical assistance and Mr. Kim Barrymore for help with the manuscript for this article.