journal article·2026-07-06Open access

Vascularized Liver‐on‐a‐Microsphere Reveals Alanine‐Glucose Metabolism‐Driven Regulation of Liver Function and Injury

Jingyang Li, Zengnan Wu, Yingrui Zhang, Shulang Chen, Yongning Lin, Shiyu Chen, Tong Xu, Xianli Meng, Yi Zhang, Jin‐Ming Lin

Abstract

ABSTRACT The hepatic lobule, the basic unit of the liver, spatially organizes diverse cell types to coordinate metabolism, detoxification, and immune regulation. Yet efficiently reconstructing its hierarchical and vascular microarchitecture in vitro remains a central challenge. Here, we report a vascularized liver‐on‐a‐microsphere (VLOM) system that recreates lobule‐like structure and function within individual microscale hydrogel particles. Using a microfluidic‐aerosol fabrication strategy, compartmentalized microspheres with rough‐textured surface and built‐in spatial addressing markers were produced to spatially localize multiple liver cell types and support endothelial barrier formation. The VLOMs exhibit uniform morphology, structural stability, and high viability, accompanied by enhanced hepatic performance, including elevated albumin and urea synthesis and upregulated CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 expression. Metabolomic profiling reveals activation of the alanine‐glucose metabolic cycle, which strengthens biosynthetic and detoxification capacities. Supplementation with alanine or glucose further restores hepatic function and mitigates rifampicin‐induced hepatotoxicity, underscoring the protective role of this cycle in maintaining metabolic resilience. This scalable, vascularized microsphere system unites microengineering precision and physiological fidelity, offering a high‐throughput route to model liver metabolism and evaluate drug responses.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: 3D Printing in Biomedical Research · Liver physiology and pathology · Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources School of Pharmacy Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chengdu China

Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education) Department of Chemistry Tsinghua University Beijing China

School of Ethnic Medicine Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chengdu China

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province

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