Innovation for hepatotoxicity in vitro research models: A review

Area of Science:

• Drug-induced liver injury (DILI)
• Hepatocyte research
• Toxicology

Background:

• Drug-induced hepatotoxicity necessitates improved predictive models.
• In vitro models using human hepatocytes offer higher accuracy than animal studies.
• Current in vitro models lack sufficient metabolic enzyme activity and cellular polarity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of in vitro models for predicting drug-induced liver toxicity.
• To discuss the limitations of existing models and emerging technologies.
• To provide insights for future hepatotoxicity research.

Main Methods:

• Review of current research on in vitro hepatocyte models.
• Analysis of model characteristics, limitations, and enhancement strategies.
• Exploration of technological advancements and future prospects.

Main Results:

• In vitro models show promise but do not fully replicate human hepatocytes.
• Enhancing metabolic function and altering the culture environment are key strategies.
• Significant progress is being made in developing more accurate models.

Conclusions:

• Improving in vitro models is essential for accurate drug-induced liver toxicity prediction.
• Further research into enhancing hepatocyte function and culture conditions is needed.
• This review offers new perspectives for advancing hepatotoxicity research.