Protocol to generate human liver spheroids to study liver fibrosis induced by metabolic stress

STAR Protoc. 2024 Jun 21;5(2):103111. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103111. Epub 2024 Jun 3.

Abstract

Currently, there is no effective treatment for obesity and alcohol-associated liver diseases, partially due to the lack of translational human models. Here, we present a protocol to generate 3D human liver spheroids that contain all the liver cell types and mimic "livers in a dish." We describe strategies to induce metabolic and alcohol-associated hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. We outline potential applications, including using human liver spheroids for experimental and translational research and drug screening to identify potential anti-fibrotic therapies.

Keywords: cell isolation; metabolism; organoid.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Hepatocytes / pathology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / metabolism
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / pathology
  • Liver* / metabolism
  • Liver* / pathology
  • Spheroids, Cellular* / metabolism
  • Spheroids, Cellular* / pathology
  • Stress, Physiological / physiology