Liver tissue engineering based on perfusion culture of endothelialized rat hepatocyte aggregates loosely-packed with biodegradable fibers

摘要

Heterogenic aggregates consisting rat hepatocytes and HUVECs were efficiently formed in microwell devices made from an oxygen-permeable material. Inclusion of biodegradable fibers in the cellular aggregates packed in bioreactors created spaces for better perfusion of culture medium as evidence from the better albumin production, but further improvements are necessary in culturing highly-metabolic normal hepatocyte aggregates at high densities based on the modular assembly concept.