Differential fibrotic phenotypes of hepatic stellate cells within 3D liver organoids

Liver fibrosis occurs in most cases of chronic liver disease, which are somewhat common, but also a potentially deadly group of diseases. In vitro modeling of liver fibrosis relies primarily on the isolation of in vivo activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) and studying them in standard tissue culture dishes (two-dimensional [2D]). In contrast, modeling of fibrosis in a biofabricated three-dimensional (3D) construct allows us to study changes to the environment, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and structure, and tissue rigidity. In the current study, we used aHSCs produced through subcultures in 2D and encapsulated them in a 3D collagen gel to form spherical constructs. In parallel, and as a comparison, we used an established HSC line, LX-2, representing early and less severe fibrosis. Compared with LX-2 cells, the aHSCs created a stiffer environment and expressed higher levels of TIMP1 and LOXL2, all of which are indicative of advanced liver fibrosis. Collectively, this study presents a fibrosis model that could be incorporated with multi-cellular models to more accurately reflect the effects of a severe fibrotic environment on liver function.