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. 2025 Jan 30;19(5):101472. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2025.101472

Figure 8.

Figure 8

HSC activation requires close contact with organoids. (A) Top panels show microscopy pictures of a co-culture of ICOs (left panel, brightfield image) and HSCs (right panel, confocal microscopy) in close contact (ie, in the same Matrigel droplet). Bottom panels show the same type of images of a co-culture where HSCs and ICOs were plated without close contact (ie, in 2 separate Matrigel droplets in the same culture well). Scale bar left panels: 400 μm; right panels: 25 μm. (B) Metabolic activity (corresponding to cell amounts) expected based on 3D mono-cultured HSCs and ICOs, and the observed signal in co-culture with and without close contact. (C) Collagen type 1 secretion in the medium from HSCs in 3D mono-culture, co-culture with and without close contact. (D) Gene expression of HSC associated genes in co-culture with and without close contact. Data comes from 2 different mouse isolations cultured in triplicate. (E) Model based on the presented data, where (1) progenitor cells activate HSCs, which requires close contact, and (2) activated HSCs enhance progenitor cell proliferation. ∗P < .05; ∗∗P < .01; ∗∗∗P < .001; ∗∗∗∗P < .0001.