title: Galactose-carrying polymers as extracellular matrices for liver tissue engineering.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshiba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akaike
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers; D005690:Galactose