Creation of new 3D liver cell models for research

BeCytes Biotechnologies (CYTES) is coordinating the new Nuclis I+D project funded by Agència per a la Competitivitat de l'Empresa (ACCIÓ), which in the following two years, aims to revolutionize liver research by creating cutting-edge in vitro models using the encapsulation of human liver cells via bio-printing, offering reliable preclinical insights to drive advancements in drug development.

The most widely used liver models to test new drugs include the cell culture of primary hepatocytes in 2D and the use of animal experimental models. However, obtaining results in such models is often slow, expensive, and biased.

Thus, the creation of in vitro liver models that mimic the complexity of the human liver is crucial for the obtention of relevant and predictable preclinical results with translational clinical applications. The bioprinted 3D liver models, created in collaboration with the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), have several advantages:

• Recreate spatially the human liver for in vitro use.
• Improve the prediction and reproducibility of this models for the global population.
• Minimize the variations between individuals using cells from different donors.
• Reduce the bias generated by user manipulation as this new model is automatize.

Keep up with the project's progress to learn about the latest developments!