Live observation of three dimensional hepatic tissue with microvascular networks.

我们提供了一项概念验证研究，以设计具有全功能血管网络的人类肝脏组织。我们建立了一个稳定的三维培养平台，将人胎肝细胞与人脐静脉内皮细胞和间充质细胞群结合血管化。体外血管化胎肝细胞植入后，在透明窗（颅窗）下活体内动态观察细胞的组织化过程。工程化的人体组织显示出多种肝脏特异性特征，具有多种肝功能。通过对切除的移植组织的分析和进一步的动物实验，证实了该组织具有成熟人肝组织的性质。我们在这里发现的新技术不仅有助于未来的临床应用，而且还可用于药物测试等工业用途。

We provide a proof-of-concept study to engineer human liver tissue with fully functional vascular networks. We established a stable 3D culture platform to vascularize h uman fetal liver cells combined with human umbilical vein endothelial and mesenchymal cell populations. In vitro vascularized fetal liver cells were intravitally monitored the dynamic cellular organizing process after implantation under transparency window (cranial window). Engineered human tissue shows multiple liver-specific features with several hepatic functions. By analysis of the resected transplanted tissues and further animal experiments, it was confirmed that the tissues possessed the nature of the mature human hepatic tissue. Our new techniques discovered here should facilitate not only for future clinical use, but also for industrial use such as drug testing.