Summary
Published in Environmental Research (2021), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Yan, Lu, et al. Assessment of fibrotic pathways induced by environmental chemicals using 3D-human liver microtissue model
Assessment of fibrotic pathways induced by environmental chemicals using 3D-human liver microtissue model
Research Overview
Persistent, bioaccumulative environmental chemicals have been linked to liver disease, and induction of fibrotic pathways is considered a prerequisite for chemically induced liver fibrosis.
This study applied 3D human liver microtissues composed of HepaRG, THP-1, and hTERT-HSC cells — a combination expressing bile acid, sterol, and xenobiotic metabolism and capable of reproducing key fibrosis events such as extracellular matrix deposition. The microtissues were exposed to the known profibrotic chemical thioacetamide plus three representative environmental chemicals: TCDD, benzo[a]pyrene, and PCB126.
Key Discoveries
- Tri-culture liver microtissues expressed bile acid, sterol, and xenobiotic metabolism pathways
- Model reproduced key fibrosis events including extracellular matrix deposition
- Profibrotic responses compared across thioacetamide, TCDD, benzo[a]pyrene, and PCB126
