Business opportunity
Production of scalable liver-like tissue that exhibits functionally long-lived human liver characteristics has remained elusive, leaving use of humanoid liver research systems suboptimal. Scientists at the Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo have developed a validated protocol to produce scalable liver organoids with liver like function and cell repertoire.
Inven2 seeks partners for co-development or out-licensing of the IP.
Technology description
The scientists have developed a method that does not require 2D patterning, is ECM-independent and is combined with small molecules to mimic embryonic liver development that produces massive quantities of liver like organoids.
Using single-cell RNA sequencing and immunofluorescence they have demonstrated a liver-like cellular repertoire, a higher order cellular complexity, presenting with vascular luminal structures, innervation and a population of resident macrophage – the Kupffer cells.
Advantages
- The organoids exhibit key liver functions including drug metabolism, serum protein production, coagulation factor production, bilirubin uptake and urea synthesis.
- The organoids can be transplanted and maintained in mice producing human albumin long term.
- The organoids exhibit a complex cellular repertoire reflective of the organ, have de novo vascularization and innervation, enhanced function and maturity.
- The described protocol is straightforward, efficient and reproducible. The organoids can be produced in just 20 days.
- The organoids developed are relevant for applications from cellular therapy, tissue engineering, drug toxicity assessment, disease modeling, to basic developmental biology.
Publications
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.02.406835v1
IPR
A patent application has been filed.
