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Test Problems

Engineered 3D liver microenvironments for better study of physical and biochemical effects on diseased and healthy liver cells

24 January 2022

Test Problems

Sometimes our true character is only revealed when we face real adversity. It’s hard to draw conclusions if you only see a sunny scenario. And we can only learn so much about tackling disease if our experiments are based exclusively on healthy cells and tissues. Lab-based models of the human livercollections of cells that simulate the real thing – are essential to research into liver function, but existing models don’t represent diseased livers as well as healthy ones. A study has developed an improved model (pictured) with increased cell-cell interactions, longer-term stability, and a supportive scaffold (green) formed of a hydrogel. Liver cells (pink) in this model better mimic those in the body, with clear differences between healthy and diseased scenarios, providing a valuable platform for investigating not just healthy biology, but the mechanics – and potential treatments – of disease.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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