Recently, a collaborative research titled Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Enhance Liver Organoid Proliferation and Function jointly completed by the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Wuhan Biobank Co., Ltd. and other institutions has been officially published in the renowned biology journal Biology Direct. This study systematically explores the regulatory effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) on proliferation and functional maturation of liver organoids, laying critical experimental foundations for hepatic regenerative medicine and disease model construction.
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Notably, this research adopted HycopGel®, an engineered extracellular matrix independently developed by Kepure Biotech, as the scaffold material in organoid culture with parallel comparison against conventional Matrigel. Experimental data verified the outstanding reliability and stability of HycopGel® to support 3D hepatic organoid cultivation, facilitate cell proliferation and promote functional gene expression.
PART 01
Research Highlight: Superior Performance of HycopGel®
Experimental results demonstrated liver organoids co-cultured with hUC-MSCs inside HycopGel® possessed prominent advantages as below:
Enhanced organoid-forming capacity: The co-culture system yielded approximately twice more organoids with larger average diameters compared to monoculture groups.
Remarkably improved proliferation: Co-culture drastically boosted hepatic organoid proliferation, confirmed by ATP quantification and Ki67 immunofluorescent staining.
Long-term culture durability: Co-cultured hepatic organoids maintained robust viability over serial passaging up to 70 days, whereas monocultured counterparts suffered dramatic decline in formation efficiency after day 50.
Reliable hepatic functionality: Hepatic organoids cultured in HycopGel® achieved equivalent levels of albumin secretion and urea synthesis as Matrigel-cultured controls, alongside effective expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes CYP1A2 and CYP2E1.
Collectively, HycopGel® constructs stable 3D extracellular microenvironment to support multi-cell co-cultivation and full functional maturation of organoids, serving as an animal-free, controllable and dependable matrix option for hepatic organoid development, disease modeling and anti-cancer drug screening..
PART 02
Why Choose HycopGel®?
Well-defined composition & consistent batch-to-batch quality — eliminates lot-to-lot variability and uncertain contaminants inherent to animal-derived hydrogels such as Matrigel.
Excellent biocompatibility — supports spontaneous 3D self-assembly and synergistic growth of hepatocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells.
Compatible with standardized research workflows — uniform gel properties enable scalable, clinical-grade organoid manufacturing.
Validated by peer-reviewed high-impact research — this published work proves HycopGel® can fully replace Matrigel to achieve equivalent organoid expansion and hepatic functional maturation in co-culture assays.
Recommended Product: HycopGel® Human Liver Organoid Culture Kit
Acknowledgement & Future Outlook
We sincerely appreciate all research groups selecting and trusting HycopGel®. Every formally published peer-reviewed article stands as authoritative validation of our product performance and research value. Kepure Biotech will keep investing in organoid and advanced cell culture technology to deliver premium innovative reagents and solutions for global scientific researchers.
