title: Research progress in liver tissue engineering.
abstract: Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver diseases (ESLD). However, it is hampered by shortage of liver donor. Liver tissue engineering, aiming at fabricating new livers in vitro, provides a potential resolution for donor shortage. Three elements need to be considered in liver tissue engineering: seeding cell resources, scaffolds and bioreactors. Studies have shown potential cell sources as hepatocytes, hepatic cell line, mesenchymal stem cells and others. They need scaffolds with perfect biocompatiblity, suitable micro-structure and appropriate degradation rate, which are essential charateristics for cell attachment, proliferation and secretion in forming extracellular matrix. The most promising scaffolds in research include decellularized whole liver, collagens and biocompatible plastic. The development and function of cells in scaffold need a microenvironment which can provide them with oxygen, nutrition, growth factors, et al. Bioreactor is expected to fulfill these requirements by mimicking the living condition in vivo. Although there is great progress in these three domains, a large gap stays still between their researches and applications. Herein, we summarized the recent development in these three major fields which are indispensable in liver tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: BRC, First Hospital of Kun Ming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: BRC, First Hospital of Kun Ming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: BRC, First Hospital of Kun Ming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: BRC, First Hospital of Kun Ming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Lorraine University and CNRS UNR 7365, Medical college, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.|CHRU Nancy, Unité Therapie Cellulaire et Tissulaire, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Stoltz
authors.affiliation: Lorraine University and CNRS UNR 7365, Medical college, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Isla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D019149:Bioreactors; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: Liver tissue engineering; biomaterial; bioreactor; hepatocyte; mesenchymal stem cell