Experimental design of an in vivo imaging platform of the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE): hepatic spheroids were generated from primary liver cells (enriched in hepatocytes) and transplanted into the ACE of recipient mice, where they can be imaged longitudinally across the cornea by confocal microscopy. Credit: Natural communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45122-4
Karolinska Institutet researchers have developed a method to study liver function and disease without the need for invasive procedures. After transplanting liver cells into the mouse eye, the cornea can be used as a window into the body to monitor liver health over time. The study is published in the journal Natural communications.
Imagine if it were possible to study the liver cells of a living organism without resorting to invasive procedures. Researchers have now shown that this is possible in mice by transplanting small 3D cell cultures of liver cells, called spheroids, into the anterior chamber of the eye. The cornea of the eye is then used as a window into the body to obtain clues about changes in the liver over the mouse’s life.
The researchers were able to show that liver cells attach to the iris of the eye and are supplied with blood vessels and nerves necessary for their function and survival. They also retain their typical liver characteristics and appear to reflect the health of the animal’s liver. For example, spheroids in the eye were found to store fat in the same way as the liver of the same animal fed a high-fat diet, meaning the implant could act as a marker for fatty liver disease. .
“This is a unique approach that opens new opportunities to study the role of the liver in metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease,” says Noah Moruzzi, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery of Karolinska. Institutet and corresponding author of the article.
“In order to stop or delay disease progression, we need to identify early disease mechanisms, but it was previously difficult to study the liver without resorting to invasive methods.”
Metabolic diseases have increased significantly in recent years and were previously associated with old age, but are now increasingly developing in younger people and obese children. These disorders share similar risk factors and are often presented together in patients with metabolic syndrome. Hepatic steatosis and type 2 diabetes are characterized by dysfunction of lipid metabolism and blood sugar regulation, controlled by the liver and pancreas, respectively.
“Therefore, continuous and detailed monitoring of functional changes in these organs is essential to identify disease mechanisms,” explains first author Francesca Lazzeri-Barcelo, Ph.D. studying in the same department. “With the new platform, we can now monitor the development of fatty liver disease at the cellular level and we are excited to start using it to test different drugs and treatment strategies. »
The research group of Professor Per-Olof Berggren from Karolinska Institutet has been transplanting cells and mini-organs into the anterior chamber of the mouse eye since 2008.
“In recent years, our method has proven to be a powerful research tool for monitoring insulin-producing pancreatic islets during the development of type 2 diabetes,” he explains. “Now the platform has been extended to liver research, showing that there is potential to use the tool in other medical areas as well.”
More information:
Francesca Lazzeri-Barcelo et al, Intraocular liver spheroids for non-invasive high-resolution in vivo monitoring of liver cell function, Natural communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45122-4
Provided by the Karolinska Institute
Quote: Researchers use the eye as a window to study liver health (February 1, 2024) retrieved February 1, 2024 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for fair use for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for information only.
