Résumé
Liver is a vital organ that performs more than 500 functions. Liver integrity and function rely on a complex tissue architecture involving reciprocal and dynamic interactions between hepatic cells and matrix and factors provided by the blood circulation. Due to its central role in detoxification and the connection with blood coming directly from intestine, liver is the first target of drug-induced toxicity. Primary hepatocyte cultures have contributed to the understanding of liver physiopathology and have been used for drug in vitro testing. However, their phenotype is unstable when they are removed from their natural environment. Many efforts are therefore focused on developing more physiologically relevant cell-based systems, such as organotypic cultures, by reintroducing microenvironmental stimuli that play a significant role in liver regeneration, disease progression and cell responses to drugs in vivo. This chapter describes the liver anatomy, cell organization and main functions and provides some examples of the progress from simple in vitro models to more sophisticated 3D engineered liver systems, including their potential applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine.