4.1.2. Safety and Toxicology
HepG2 liver cells have been encapsulated in sterile alginate hydrogels and used to demonstrate their capability to metabolize a coumarin pro-drug in a manner similar to in vivo hepatic metabolic activity [132]. Another hepatic cell line, Huh-7, cultured in an alginate hydrogel showed cellular organization and hepatocyte architecture with respect to cell polarity, cell junctions and the appearance of bile canaliculi. The alginate-encapsulated Huh-7 cells also expressed specific hepatitis C virus receptors indicating that this 3D culture system may be useful in viral studied and liver tissue engineering [133]. Alginate encapsulation of hepatocytes provides protection from shear stress for hepatocyte aggregates in a 3D bioreactor cultures system [134]. In addition, the alginate hydrogel seems to provide the cells with a good support for extracellular matrix deposition.