TY - JOUR
T1 - 3D microfluidic liver cultures as a physiological preclinical tool for hepatitis B virus infection
AU - Ortega-Prieto, A. M.
AU - Skelton, J. K.
AU - Wai, S. N.
AU - Large, E.
AU - Lussignol, M.
AU - Vizcay-Barrena, G.
AU - Hughes, D.
AU - Fleck, R. A.
AU - Thursz, M.
AU - Catanese, M. T.
AU - Dorner, M.
PY - 2018/12/31
Y1 - 2018/12/31
N2 - With more than 240 million people infected, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major health concern. The inability to mimic the complexity of the liver using cell lines and regular primary human hepatocyte (PHH) cultures pose significant limitations for studying host/pathogen interactions. Here, we describe a 3D microfluidic PHH system permissive to HBV infection, which can be maintained for at least 40 days. This system enables the recapitulation of all steps of the HBV life cycle, including the replication of patient-derived HBV and the maintenance of HBV cccDNA. We show that innate immune and cytokine responses following infection with HBV mimic those observed in HBV-infected patients, thus allowing the dissection of pathways important for immune evasion and validation of biomarkers. Additionally, we demonstrate that the co-culture of PHH with other non-parenchymal cells enables the identification of the cellular origin of immune effectors, thus providing a valuable preclinical platform for HBV research.
AB - With more than 240 million people infected, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major health concern. The inability to mimic the complexity of the liver using cell lines and regular primary human hepatocyte (PHH) cultures pose significant limitations for studying host/pathogen interactions. Here, we describe a 3D microfluidic PHH system permissive to HBV infection, which can be maintained for at least 40 days. This system enables the recapitulation of all steps of the HBV life cycle, including the replication of patient-derived HBV and the maintenance of HBV cccDNA. We show that innate immune and cytokine responses following infection with HBV mimic those observed in HBV-infected patients, thus allowing the dissection of pathways important for immune evasion and validation of biomarkers. Additionally, we demonstrate that the co-culture of PHH with other non-parenchymal cells enables the identification of the cellular origin of immune effectors, thus providing a valuable preclinical platform for HBV research.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042083931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-018-02969-8
DO - 10.1038/s41467-018-02969-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 29445209
AN - SCOPUS:85042083931
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 9
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 682
ER -
