Time-lapse photography: a novel tool to study normal morphogenesis and the diseased hepatobiliary system in children

The etiology of biliary atresia (BA) and many other childhood cholangiopathies remains unknown. To investigate the normal and diseased hepatobiliary system in vitro, we isolated and cultured biliary epithelial cells (BEC) from a number of species including man. Time-lapse video microscopy was used to study cell movements in vitro, and demonstrated the characteristic morphologic appearance of the BEC and their interactions with hepatocytes and other cell types on artificial biosynthetic materials. The cells remain attached and viable in routine culture conditions; however, when placed onto or within a source of extracellular matrix, the cells move off the surface and form characteristic morphologic patterns, which on time-lapse video are consistent with tube or duct formation. These findings suggest that time-lapse photography may be a useful tool for in vitro studies of normal morphogenesis of the hepatobiliary system and may enable us to better understand biliary atresia and other childhood cholangiopathies.