Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for culturing a population of hepatocytes in vitro, comprising co-culturing the population of hepatocytes with at least one non-parenchymal cell population and incubating the co-culture in culture medium, wherein the co-culture is periodically incubated in culture medium that does not comprise serum (serum-free culture medium).

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for culturing a population of hepatocytes in vitro, comprising co-culturing the population of hepatocytes with at least one non-parenchymal cell population and incubating the co-culture in culture medium, wherein the co-culture is periodically incubated in culture medium that does not comprise serum (serum-free culture medium).

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a culture medium formulation comprising human serum that can enhance functions of primary human hepatocytes, improve morphology, promote bile canaliculi formation and extend hepatocyte functional lifetime in vitro for over 10 weeks as compared to ˜3-4 weeks when using a conventional culture medium containing serum from bovine sources. The provided long-term culture model can be used to screen drugs for their efficacious and/or toxic effects over several weeks, improve drug-transporter assays via the larger bile canaliculi network, and to model several chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis, type 2 diabetes, malaria, liver fibrosis, liver cancer, and fatty liver disease.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides co-cultures of a population of hepatocytes, at least one non-parenchymal cell population, and a population of hepatic stellate cells in vitro, methods of preparing the co-cultures, and methods of using the co-cultures for high throughput screening and evaluation of drug candidates. The hepatocytes co-culture system provides an in vitro model in which both cell viability and phenotype are maintained for extended periods relative to conventional monoculture.