Today, Lonza announced the addition of hepatic stellate cells, Kupffer cells and liver-derived endothelial cells to its extensive hepatocytes portfolio. These hepatic non-parenchymal cells provide scientists with the building blocks to create more physiologically relevant in vitro models, including co-cultures and 3D cell cultures, for enhanced liver disease research.
Hepatic non-parenchymal cells are involved in normal liver function, including transport, metabolism and growth; however, they also play important roles in the immune response. Kupffer cells, for instance, are the resident macrophages of the liver and are one of the first lines of defense against bacteria and toxins in the gut. In addition, liver-derived endothelial cells form the primary cellular barrier that lines blood vessels and sinusoids in the liver.
As well as their role in normal liver function, hepatic non-parenchymal cells can be involved in the formation of common liver diseases. For example, when the liver is damaged, stellate cells can differentiate to form myofibroblasts, leading to collagen deposition, which can result in cirrhosis. Therefore, by creating more sophisticated in vitro culture models that incorporate both hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells, scientists can improve the translatability of their toxicity testing and pharmacokinetics studies to clinical trials, thus aiding the development of new liver disease treatments.
The expansion of Lonza’s hepatocytes portfolio illustrates its continued commitment to providing the pharmaceutical industry with high-quality primary cells and further strengthens Lonza’s position as a leading provider of hepatocytes and ADME-Tox products. By now offering all four major liver cell types (hepatocytes, stellate cells, Kupffer cells and liver-derived endothelial cells), Lonza offers a one-stop shop for scientists looking to source human liver cells for their drug discovery research.
“Researchers working in drug metabolism, hepatitis, NASH, and other liver diseases with complex involvement of different liver cell types are trending toward using more physiologically relevant cell models,” said Dr. Maureen Bunger, Product Manager for ADME-Tox Solutions at Lonza. “Our high-quality hepatic non-parenchymal cells are isolated and enriched from human liver tissue. They are pre-characterized for a variety of different applications, such as post-thaw plating, morphology and response to LPS stimulation, which saves researchers both time and money by reducing the need to evaluate cells for experiments.”