Alginate-encapsulated HepG2 Cells in a Fluidized Bed Bioreactor Maintain Function in Human Liver Failure Plasma

Alginate‐encapsulated HepG2 cells cultured in microgravity have the potential to serve as the cellular component of a bioartificial liver. This study investigates their performance in normal and liver failure (LF) human plasma over 6–8 h in a fluidized bed bioreactor. After 8 days of microgravity culture, beads containing 1.5 × 109 cells were perfused for up to 8 h at 48 mL/min with 300 mL of plasma. After exposure to 90% LF plasma, vital dye staining showed maintained cell viability, while a 7% increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity indicated minimal cell damage. Glucose consumption, lactate production, and a 4.3‐fold linear increase in alpha‐fetoprotein levels were observed. Detoxificatory function was demonstrated by quantification of bilirubin conjugation, urea synthesis, and Cyp450 1A activity. These data show that in LF plasma, alginate‐encapsulated HepG2 cells can maintain viability, and metabolic, synthetic, and detoxificatory activities, indicating that the system can be scaled‐up to form the biological component of a bioartificial liver.