(188ad) Stiffness of Engineered Substrate Alters Cellular Function in Liver and Contributes to Fibrosis

Liver is a complex multicellular organ that performs many vital functions, including those in the areas of synthesis, metabolism, and detoxification.

Cells were cultured on an engineered substrate constructed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs), with physiologically relevant stiffness ranging from healthy to diseased. The PEMS consisted of ten bilayers of poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (SPS), and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDAC) polymers. This allowed for a biologically inert and reproducible surface to isolate the effects of substrate stiffness on cellular function. We demonstrate that substrate stiffness alters the expression of important enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics. This platform for replicating the in vivo stiffness microenvironment of healthy or diseased liver can be useful in the development of in vitro liver disease models.