Hepatic Tissue Engineering
using Microtechnology

Professor Sangeeta N. Bhatia, MD
Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine
University of California at San Diego

DATE: Thursday, Nov 6, 2003
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: Engineering II, Room 3361

ABSTRACT

The ability to engineer highly functional hepatic tissue has applications in the development of both cell-based therapies and in vitro models of liver tissue that can be used to study in vivo responses. In order to improve cell-based therapies (i.e. implantable tissues and bioartificial devices), we are interested in understanding the structure/function relationship of the liver. Of particular interest is how the microenvironment around hepatocytes (the functional cell of the liver) affects cell fate and function. Microtechnology tools are utilized to control and study the role of cell-cell interactions, cell-extracellular matrix interactions, and soluble stimuli (e.g. oxygen tension) on hepatocyte function. Novel systems have also been developed to extend our findings in two-dimensional model tissues to three-dimensional constructs using photopatterned hydrogels. In order to develop in vitro models of liver tissue, live cells would be used as ‘sensors’ of in vivo responses. Our focus in this area has therefore been on the development of micro and nanotechnology tools to integrate cellular arrays with inorganic platforms. The combination of robust tools to manipulate live hepatocytes with insight on the role of their microenvironment should have broad clinical and technological implications.