Liver Cell Structure Culture for Stable Internal Blood Vessels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional liver models fail to maintain liver function due to the presence of hepatic stellate cells, which can lead to blood vessel diffusion outside the cell structure, and lack of hepatic stellate cells results in inadequate blood vessel formation.

Innovation Solution

A method for producing a cell structure by culturing hepatocytes and vascular endothelial cells in a medium containing VEGF-A, along with other growth factors, under conditions that allow medium components to be taken up from all directions, without hepatic stellate cells, to form blood vessels that do not diffuse outside.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hepatic stellate cells are included in the cell structure, then liver function is enhanced through co-culture, but blood vessels diffuse outside the cell structure and liver function cannot be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliver function maintenanceVSAvoidblood vessel stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes hepatic stellate cells from the cell structure composition. By excluding these specific cells while maintaining hepatocytes and vascular endothelial cells, the patent prevents blood vessel diffusion while preserving liver function, thus resolving the contradiction between liver function enhancement and blood vessel stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If hepatic stellate cells are excluded from the cell structure, then blood vessel diffusion is prevented, but blood vessel formation becomes inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblood vessel stabilityVSAvoidblood vessel formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the compositional parameters of the cell structure by specifically selecting which cell types to include (hepatocytes and vascular endothelial cells) and which to exclude (hepatic stellate cells). This parameter change enables blood vessel formation through the selected cell types while maintaining stability, resolving the contradiction between blood vessel formation and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If conventional liver model composition is used, then liver function is initially present, but blood vessels diffuse outside during culturing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliver functionVSAvoidcell structure integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes hepatic stellate cells from the conventional liver model composition, creating a simplified cell structure that consists only of hepatocytes and vascular endothelial cells. This extraction eliminates the source of blood vessel diffusion while maintaining liver function, thus resolving the contradiction between liver function and cell structure integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method effectively produces a cell structure with epithelial cells and stable blood vessels that do not diffuse outside, promoting angiogenesis and maintaining vascular integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a step of culturing a plurality of cells, comprising at least epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells, in a medium comprising one or more growth factors involved in angiogenesis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAngiogenesis:

Data Source

PatentEP4692321A1Cell structure production method
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 TOPPAN HOLDINGS INC
  • EP4692321A1 patent drawingFigure 1(A)~1(C)
  • EP4692321A1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(B)
  • EP4692321A1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(B)

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing a cell structure including a step of culturing a plurality of cells, including at least epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells, in a medium including one or more growth factors involved in angiogenesis.