Optimization of maturity levels of human hepatic cell lines in tissue culture

It is generally thought that proliferation and full maturation of hepatocytes are mutually exclusive. For this reason human hepatic cell lines unlimitedly proliferate but with reduced maturity levels under standard culture conditions.We set out to optimize culture conditions for the hepatic cell lines Huh–7 and HepG2 towards less proliferation and more maturity based on expression levels of maturity markers like metabolic enzymes, protein members of tight and adherens junctions etc.–in comparison to levels reached in freshly isolated primary human hepatocytes.Huh–7 cells cultured with DMSO lead to cells of advan…