Liver disease constitutes the third most common cause of premature death and the only major cause of death still increasing every year. The current gold standard of care is liver transplantation, which though effective, is severely limited by donor availability. Transplantation of liver-like cells and liver organoids derived from stem cells improves survival in animal models of liver failure. Although such results are promising, these lab-grown cells are cultured on matrigel; a substrate prohibited from clinical use because of its poor definability, immunogenicity, and cancerous origin. The aim of this project is to develop a fully definable and xeno-free hydrogel that would allow the culture of clinical-grade liver-like cells and liver organoids. This project will also investigate if tri-lineage differentiation and organogenesis are supported by the novel hydrogel. Successful completion of this project would provide a novel biomaterial for regenerative medicine and facilitate the use of cell therapy in clinical practice.
| Dr. Jon Ong |
Department of Engineering |
| Dr. Athina Markaki |
Department of Engineering |
| Mr. Foad Rouhani |
Department of Surgery |
