Success Story:LiberaCell™Unlocking Cryopreservation for Fragile Liver Spheroids
Challenge
A pharmaceutical team focused on drug metabolism and toxicity testing was relying on fresh 3D liver spheroids for all experiments. Attempts to cryopreserve their own cell models had failed repeatedly, leading to total cell loss upon thaw. Without a viable preservation method, they faced supply constraints, inconsistent scheduling, and increased operational costs.
Solution
Likarda applied its LiberaCell™ encapsulation technology to address the challenge. Using hydrogel microspheres tailored for cryoprotection, liver spheroids were encapsulated and cryopreserved. The customer study compared the LiberaCell™-preserved cells to their existing fresh cell workflow, as they had no viable unencapsulated cryopreserved control due to previous failures.
OutcomeLiberaCell™ delivered breakthrough results:
Viability
LiberaCell™ encapsulated cells survived cryopreservation and recovered robustly, maintaining >80% viability with continued improvement during post-thaw culture.
Functionality
Encapsulated liver spheroids retained and even enhanced CYP1A1 and CYP3A4 activity compared to fresh unencapsulated controls, confirming full recovery of metabolic function.
Scalability
By enabling long-term storage and transport of viable, functional liver spheroids, LiberaCell™ removes the need for just-in-time cell prep, supporting global distribution and standardized batch testing.
By solving a long-standing limitation in cryopreservation, LiberaCell™ enabled this partner to scale their operations, expand access to their spheroid platform, and drive more consistent preclinical results.
