title: Microgravity as a means to incorporate HepG2 aggregates in polysaccharide-protein hybrid scaffold.
abstract: Tissue culture under microgravity provides a venue which promotes cell-cell association while avoiding the detrimental effects of high shear stress. Hepatocytes cultured on carriers or entrapped within matrices under simulated microgravity conditions showed improved cell function and proliferation. In the present study, a new approach was adopted where a non-cell adherent scaffold was incorporated with hepatospheroids (HepG2) under microgravity. Gum arabic (GA) was cross-linked with gelatin (GA-Gel) and collagen (GA-Col) to prepare non-cell adherent scaffolds. Microgravity experiments with GA-Gel and GA-Col indicated that GA-Col is a better substrate compared to GA-Gel. Microgravity experiments of GA-Col scaffolds with HepG2 cells confirmed that the non-adherent surface with porous architecture can incorporate hepatocyte spheroids and maintain liver specific functions. Albumin and urea synthesis of hepatocytes was sustained up to 6 days under microgravity conditions in the presence of GA-Col scaffold. This new approach of using non-cell adherent matrix and microgravity environment for developing biological substitutes will be beneficial in tissue engineering, bioartificial liver devices and in vitro safety assessment of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Govt. of India, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 547, Kerala, India. sarikapaithal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sarika
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Govt. of India, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 547, Kerala, India. nirmala@iist.ac.in.
authors.forename: Nirmala Rachel
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Tissue Culture Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India. anilkumarpr@sctimst.ac.in.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Anilkumar
authors.affiliation: Tissue Culture Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India. kdeeps3@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Deepa K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.affiliation: Tissue Culture Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India. tvkumary@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Kumary
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D066329:Protein Aggregates / Q000502:physiology; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014893:Weightlessness
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D066329:Protein Aggregates