Galactose-carrying polymers as extracellular matrices for liver tissue engineering.
Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays important roles in tissue engineering because cellular growth and differentiation, in the two-dimensional cell culture as well as in the three-dimensional space of the developing organism, require ECM with which the cells can interact. Especially, the bioartificial liver-assist device or regeneration of the liver-tissue substitutes for liver tissue engineering requires a suitable ECM for hepatocyte culture because hepatocytes are anchorage-dependent cells and are highly sensitive to the ECM milieu for the maintenance of their viability and differentiated functions. Galactose-carrying synthetic ECMs derived from synthetic polymers and natural polymers bind hepatocytes through a receptor-mediated mechanism, resulting in enhanced hepatocyte functions. Attachment and functions of hepatocytes were affected by physico-chemical properties including ECM geometry as well as the type, density and orientation of galactose. Also, cellular environment, medium composition and dynamic culture system influenced liver-specific functions of hepatocytes beside ECM.
Cho
C S
CS
School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
Seo
S J
SJ
Park
I K
IK
Kim
S H
SH
Kim
T H
TH
Hoshiba
T
T
Harada
I
I
Akaike
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry*; D005690:Galactose / Q000737:chemistry*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development*; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers; D005690:Galactose