New non-woven polyurethane-based biomaterials for the cultivation of hepatocytes: expression of differentiated functions

A new non-woven polyetherurethane support suitable to host cultured hepatoc ytes has been developed. Prior to its use in bioreactors and artificial liv er devices, the biocompatibility of this new material was investigated. The experiments have shown that the survival and functionality of hepatocytes entrapped in the non-woven polymer were longer than that of monolayer cultu red hepatocytes, under serum-free culture conditions. Hepatic specific meta bolic functions, namely, synthesis of urea and synthesis and secretion of p lasma proteins, were well maintained by hepatocytes entrapped in non-woven polyetherurethane sheets. Cells also retained the expression of biotransfor mation activities of 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase as well as CYP2A1, CYP2B 1 and CYP3A1. The results presented in this paper point to non-woven polyet herurethane sheets as a suitable biocompatible support for functional, thre e-dimensional hepatocyte cultures. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.