Patent ID: 9500642
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: C12M,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method of mimicking a physiologic condition of the liver in vitro, the method comprising: a) adding a culture medium and at least one factor to a cell culture container; b) plating at least one hepatic cell type on at least one surface within the cell culture container; and c) applying a shear force upon the at least one plated hepatic cell type, the shear force resulting from flow of the culture medium induced by a flow device, the flow mimicking flow to which the at least one hepatic cell type is exposed in vivo in the physiologic condition, wherein the factor is exogenously added to the cell culture container to provide a concentration that is: (i) within the in vivo concentration range of the factor observed in the physiologic condition; (ii) within the concentration range of the factor that would result in vivo from administration of a drug or a compound; or (iii) capable of maintaining the mimicked physiologic condition in vitro for a period of time under the shear force, the same concentration of factor being incapable of maintaining the mimicked physiologic condition in vitro for the period of time in the absence of the shear force; and wherein the at least one plated hepatic cell type comprises hepatocytes and wherein a measurement of responsiveness to glucagon, insulin, or a substrate for glucose synthesis in the hepatocytes confirms mimicking of the physiologic condition.