Bioscaffold guidance drives liver periportal area tubulogenesis in hIPSC organoids

Recapitulating the liver periportal area in vitro remains a major challenge due to its complex cellular composition and the coordinated development of both ductal and endothelial networks. Most existing bile duct organoid models fail to reproduce tubular extension and multicellular organization. We present a 3D ECM micro-rods system biofunctionalized with grafted growth factors mimicking fetal liver paracrine signaling to initiate and to coordinate the development of bile ducts, parenchymal cells, and vascular structures. Our system recapitulates key developmental stages, from the formation of the ductal plate to the emergence of elongated tubular ducts. The ECM rod alone provides the biophysical cues initiating the elongation of the bile ducts and the spatial structuration of the cellular organization, while the biofunctionalization with growth factors enhance the organization and maturation of the biliary and vascular systems. We further demonstrate that this approach is scalable and amenable to quantitative analysis through label-free Optical Coherence Tomography combined with AI-driven 3D segmentation.