Celery-derived scaffolds with liver lobule-mimicking structures for tissue engineering transplantation

Decellularized scaffolds have a demonstrated value in liver tissue engineering. Challenges in this area are focused on effectively eliminating the biological rejection of scaffolds and finding a suitable liver cell source. Here, inspired by the natural microstructure of hepatic lobules, we present a novel decellularized celery-derived scaffold cultured with human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (hiPSC-Heps) bioengineering liver tissue construction. Because of the natural hollow channels, interconnected porous structures, and excellent physicochemical characterization of the decellularized celery-derived scaffold, the resultant bioengineering liver tissue can maintain the hiPSC-Heps viability and the hepatic functions in the in vitro cultures. Based on this bioengineering liver tissue, we have demonstrated its good biocompatibility and the significantly higher expressions of albumin (ALB) and periodic acid-schiff stain (PAS) when it was implanted in nude mice. These remarkable properties endow the hiPSC-Heps integrated decellularized celery scaffolds system with promising prospects in the field of liver transplantation and other regeneration medicine.