Various three-dimensional (3D) culture systems are available to provide more accurate in vivo mimicry than two-dimensional (2D) cultures. Synthetic and/or xeno-free biomaterials are desired, as they would provide lower batch-to-batch variability and high repeatability. Here, we introduce a 3D culture system using nanofibers composed of an amphiphilic polydepsipeptide-based polymer named HYDROX, which turns into 3D nanofibers after hydration. Our system produces a large amount of cell aggregates and requires only the seeding of a cell mixture. In addition, cells cultured with HYDROX can be collected with only a centrifugation procedure, and analytical assays can then be performed. Here, we applied HYDROX to hepatic differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells. The cells cultured with HYDROX formed aggregates and HYDROX strongly promoted hepatic differentiation and maturation in terms of functions such as the positive ratio of alpha-1 antitrypsin, the production of albumin, the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 activity, and the low-density-lipoprotein uptake ability. In addition, primary human hepatocytes cultured with HYDROX showed significantly improved CYP3A4 gene expression and activity. The viscoelasticity and stiffness of HYDROX can be modulated by varying the concentration of the synthetic polymer, thereby providing a suitable microenvironment for the differentiation of cells with various characteristics toward a target cell type. Our findings demonstrated that HYDROX is a promising biomaterial for 3D cultures in research fields ranging from basic cell research to drug discovery.
Keywords: HYDROX; cell aggregation; hepatic differentiation; induced pluripotent stem cells; synthetic polymer; three-dimensional culture.