Current Advances on 3D-Bioprinted Liver Tissue Models

Abstract

The liver, the largest gland in the human body, plays a key role in metabolism, bile production, detoxification, and water and electrolyte regulation. The toxins or drugs that the gastrointestinal system absorbs reach the liver first before entering the bloodstream. Liver disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, an in vitro liver tissue model that reproduces the main functions of the liver can be a reliable platform for investigating liver diseases and developing new drugs. In addition, the limitations in traditional, planar monolayer cell cultures and animal tests for evaluating the toxicity and efficacy of drug candidates can be overcome. Currently, the newly emerging 3D bioprinting technologies have the ability to construct in vitro liver tissue models both in static scaffolds and dynamic liver-on-chip manners. This review mainly focuses on the construction and applications of liver tissue models based on 3D bioprinting. Special attention is given to 3D bioprinting strategies and bioinks for constructing liver tissue models including the cell sources and hydrogel selection. In addition, the main advantages and limitations and the major challenges and future perspectives are discussed, paving the way for the next generation of in vitro liver tissue models.

Keywords: 3D bioprinting; bioinks; hepatocytes; liver in vitro models; liver-on-chips.