Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects approximately 38% of the global population, and researchers at National Taiwan University have developed an injectable self-healing hydrogel that significantly improved liver function in animal models after two weeks of treatment, healthcare-in-europe.com reported.
The therapy, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, uses a composite material called 0.1% TA-CDS that combines tannic acid, a self-healing hydrogel, decellularized liver matrix and hepatocyte spheroids. Yung-Te Hou, a co-corresponding author on the study, said the platform recapitulates the native hepatic microenvironment.
Self-Repairing Bonds Mimic Liver Tissue Strength
The base material, a CPDP self-healing hydrogel developed by Shan-hui Hsu at NTU’s Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, forms through reversible Schiff-base bonds between chitosan-phenol and difunctionalized polyethylene glycol, asiaresearchnews.com reported. Adding 0.1 wt% tannic acid gave the composite mechanical properties similar to native liver tissue while preserving its ability to self-heal after damage.
Self-healing hydrogels can autonomously restore their structure after damage, a property first demonstrated in a 2007 study by Toohey et al. on polymer coatings, according to a review published on pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Hydrogels accounted for 50% of the global synthetic biomaterials market in 2018, the review noted.
Human Stem Cells and Animal Models Validate the Approach
The researchers tested 0.1% TA-CDS in an in vitro MASLD model and found significant therapeutic effects. They also validated the platform using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cell spheroids developed with Kenji Osafune of Kyoto University’s CiRA, asiaresearchnews.com reported.
Animal experiments showed the treatment significantly improved liver function, lipid metabolism, serum biochemical markers and liver tissue characteristics after just two weeks, the National Taiwan University team reported.
A New Approach for a Disease Affecting 38% of Adults
MASLD prevalence continues to rise alongside the global burden of metabolic syndrome, and approved therapeutic options remain limited in efficacy and scope, asiaresearchnews.com reported. The new hydrogel offers a biomaterial approach that delivers living hepatocyte spheroids directly to damaged liver tissue while mimicking the organ’s native environment.
“This study is significant not only in demonstrating the short-term therapeutic potential of a hepatocyte spheroid-laden composite self-healing hydrogel for MASLD, but also in introducing a biomaterial platform designed to closely recapitulate the native hepatic microenvironment,” said Hou.
Tannic Acid Hydrogel Aids Liver Recovery
What is 0.1% TA-CDS? It is a composite hydrogel containing 0.1 wt% tannic acid, CPDP self-healing hydrogel, decellularized liver matrix and hepatocyte spheroids, developed at National Taiwan University.
How quickly did it work in animal studies? Researchers observed significant improvements in liver function and tissue characteristics after two weeks of treatment.
Has it been tested with human cells? Yes, the platform was validated using human iPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cell spheroids created in collaboration with Kyoto University.
The development comes as MASLD affects roughly 38% of people worldwide, with few approved drugs available to treat the condition.