title: Fabrication of macroporous cryogels as potential hepatocyte carriers for bioartificial liver support.
abstract: Two different cryogels composed of copolymer of acrylonitrile (AN) and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) (poly(AN-co-NVP)) and interpenetrated polymer networks (IPN) of chitosan and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (poly(NiPAAm)-chitosan) were fabricated by gelation at sub-zero temperatures. The two cryogels possess an interconnected network of macropores of size 20-100 μm and efficient transport properties as determined by physiochemical analysis. Both cryogels support in vitro growth and function of fibroblasts (COS-7) and human liver hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2). The cryogels are hemocompatible as demonstrated by low albumin adsorption and platelet adherence. Furthermore, in vivo implantation of poly(NiPAAm)-chitosan cryogel in mice shows its biocompatibility with the surrounding tissue. Primary rat hepatocytes grown on poly(NiPAAm)-chitosan cryogel for 96 h formed cellular aggregates and maintained their functions in terms of, ammonia removal, ureagenesis and drug detoxification. Cryogel-based closed continuous bioreactor systems could maintain HepG2 cells at high density for 7 days. Off-line clinical evaluation of these cryogel-based bioreactors showed the ability of immobilized cells to detoxify circulating plasma obtained from patients with acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). Altogether, the presented data suggests cryogels as a potential bioreactor matrix for bio-artificial liver support system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, UP, India.
authors.forename: Era
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, UP, India.
authors.forename: Apeksha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damania
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, UP, India.
authors.forename: Akhilesh Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shakya
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Shiv K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sarin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, UP, India. Electronic address: ashokkum@iitk.ac.in.
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D059985:Cryogels; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D016062:Porosity
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D059985:Cryogels
keywords: Bioartificial liver; Biocompatibility; Bioreactor; Cryogel; Hepatocytes; Hydrogels