Molecular crosstalk between hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells.

Aim of the study was to characterize at a molecular level (changes in transcriptomes) the crosstalk between tumor hepatocytes and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in liver cancer. This was adressed by using a coculture model system of HepaRG cell line (tumor hepatocytes, human), and LX2 cell line (HSC, human). By using genome-wide expression profiling, we demonstrated that hepatocyte-HSC crosstalk is bidirectional and results in the deregulation of functionally relevant gene networks. HepaRG and LX2 cells were cultured alone in serum- and DMSO-free William's E medium or together using 1 µm pore size transwell inserts which allow diffusion of media components but prevent cell migration (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA). Triplicate experiments were performed: HepaRG (culture versus coculture), LX2 (culture versus coculture).