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REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Hepatobiliary Diseases
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1521851
This article is part of the Research Topic Insights In Organoids and Organ-On-A-Chip 2024: Novel Developments, Current Challenges and Future Perspectives View all 4 articles

Advances, Challenges and Future Applications of Liver Organoids in Experimental Regenerative Medicine

Provisionally accepted
Da Gong Da Gong 1Jiaye Mo Jiaye Mo 1Mei Zhai Mei Zhai 1Fulin Zhou Fulin Zhou 2Guocai Wang Guocai Wang 3Shaohua MA Shaohua MA 4Xiaoyong Dai Xiaoyong Dai 3,4*Xuesong Deng Xuesong Deng 1
  • 1 Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
  • 2 Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
  • 3 Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 4 Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The liver is a vital organ responsible for numerous metabolic processes in the human body, including the metabolism of drugs and nutrients. After liver damage, the organ can rapidly return to its original size if the causative factor is promptly eliminated. However, when the harmful stimulus persists, the liver's regenerative capacity becomes compromised. Substantial theoretical feasibility has been demonstrated at the levels of gene expression, molecular interactions, and intercellular dynamics, complemented by numerous successful animal studies. However, a robust model and carrier that closely resemble human physiology are still lacking for translating these theories into practice. The potential for liver regeneration has been a central focus of ongoing research. Over the past decade, the advent of organoid technology has provided improved models and materials for advancing research efforts. Liver organoid technology represents a novel in vitro culture system. After several years of refinement, human liver organoids can now accurately replicate the liver's morphological structure, nutrient and drug metabolism, gene expression, and secretory functions, providing a robust model for liver disease research. Regenerative medicine aims to replicate human organ or tissue functions to repair or replace damaged tissues, restore their structure or function, or stimulate the regeneration of tissues or organs within the body. Liver organoids possess the same structure and function as liver tissue, offering the potential to serve as a viable replacement for the liver, aligning with the goals of regenerative medicine. This review examines the role of liver organoids in regenerative medicine.

    Keywords: Liver organoids, Regenerative Medicine, liver injury, Liver research model, Microfluidic and 3D print, Organoids-on-a-chip

    Received: 05 Nov 2024; Accepted: 20 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gong, Mo, Zhai, Zhou, Wang, MA, Dai and Deng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xiaoyong Dai, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.