Hepatocytes are the primary cell type of the liver and function to provide the majority of the detoxification in the body. It is widely accepted that hepatocytes lose their function rapidly when cultured on a planar 2D surface. There is a desire within drug discovery and academic research to create a liver model that maintains higher levels of functionality for a longer period of time, ideally for many weeks.This would enable chronic exposure experiments to be carried out with some confidence that the results would bear similarities to results from primary cells and humans. The liver model is also an area where co-culturing of different cell types has proven to be of the most use. In addition to the parenchymal hepatocytes, researchers have been adding the non-parenchymal stellate and kupffer cells which clearly aid in supporting culture longevity and hepatocyte function.

Primary Human and Animal Hepatocytes Cultured in RAFT^TM System

RAFT^TM System allows for the creation of tissue-like structures. The 3D matrix of the type 1 collagen-based RAFT^TM Culture provides a more natural cell culture environment and therefore a potentially superior model for in vitro screening. In a recent study, we compare cell viability and cell morphology of rat and human hepatocytes, and the maintenance of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity in human hepatocytes grown in the traditional Sandwich Model with that of cells cultured in the 3D RAFT^TM System. Our results show that the RAFT^TM 3D System represents a more robust model for the long-term maintenance of liver-specific functions.

iPSC-derived Hepatocytes Cultured in RAFT^TM System

Recent data (Gieseck et al.) established in the RAFT^TM 3D Cell Culture System has demonstrated that human iPS-derived hepatocytes show enhanced levels of maturation markers and cytochrome P450 3A4 activity levels when compared to cells maintained in a 2D culture.

Related Products

• Hepatocyte Culture and Maintenance Medium
• Human or Animal Hepatocytes
• Buy a RAFT^TM Trial Kit Today in one of these formats - 24-well, 24-well cell culture insert, 96-well

Any questions? You wonder if the RAFT^TM System is applicable to your project? Contact us to get support.