AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.4312
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Development and applications of an in vitro non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model based on 3D-printed liver tissue

Kun Du1 ,  Wei Peng2 ,  Ying Zhao2 ,  Tianma He2 ,  Tao Ding2 ,  Feifei Pu3 ,  Zibei Ming2 ,  Renquan Ruan4 ,  Jing Liu2*
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1 Department of Medical Equipment, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2 Department of Biological Engineering, School of Biology, Food and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei, Anhui, China
3 Department of Orthopedics, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
4 Shenzhen Mellgen Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
IJB, 4312 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.4312
Submitted: 23 July 2024 | Accepted: 18 September 2024 | Published: 18 September 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic disease worldwide, but its underlying etiology and molecular mechanisms are complex, and there are currently no effective clinical treatments. Animal models for studying NAFLD have limitations, necessitating the development of novel in vitro models. In this study, a bioink was first optimized for the cultivation of liver tissue. Subsequently, 3D bioprinting technology was utilized to construct large-scale liver tissue with a vascular-like function in vitro using the optimized bioink. Thereafter, the printed HepaRG cells were induced to form liver organoids. Compared with traditional liver tissue models, 3D-printed liver tissue has superior hepatic functions and greater cell viability. Moreover, glycogen storage and the formation of bile canaliculi-like structures were observed within it. Subsequently, 3D-printed liver tissue was induced to establish an NAFLD model, which was confirmed by lipid droplet analysis, liver function assays, and cell viability assessments. Additionally, this NAFLD model was used for drug testing and analysis. Our study successfully constructed a functional NAFLD model, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying NAFLD, facilitates the development of related pharmaceuticals, and promotes the development of new therapeutic strategies.  

Keywords
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
3D bioprinting
Large-scale liver tissue
In vitro model
Drug testing
Funding
This research was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (grant number 2023AFB411) and the Knowledge Innovation Project of Wuhan Science and Technology Bureau (grant number 2023020201020532).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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