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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
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Anaerobic Growth and Maintenance of Mammalian Cell Lines
Published on: July 21, 2018
Mammalian cell survival and processing in supercritical CO(2)
Patrick J Ginty1, Daniel Howard, Felicity R A J Rose
1Schools of Pharmacy and Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
Summary
Mammalian cells can survive supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) exposure for up to 5 minutes. This finding enables rapid production of viable cell-laden scaffolds using scCO(2) processing.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) is a tunable solvent with potential applications in tissue engineering.
- Investigating mammalian cell viability under scCO(2) conditions is crucial for developing novel biomaterial processing techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the survival limits of various mammalian cell types exposed to scCO(2).
- To develop and validate a rapid, single-step scCO(2) processing method for creating cell-laden biodegradable scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of C2C12 myoblasts, 3T3 fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and hepatocytes to scCO(2) at 35°C and 74 bar for varying durations.
- Assessment of cell metabolic activity post-exposure and depressurization.
- Fabrication of poly(dl-lactic acid) scaffolds using scCO(2) processing with viable cell suspensions.
- Evaluation of cell functionality (osteogenic response) and gene expression changes via microarray analysis.
Main Results:
- Mammalian cells exhibited significant metabolic activity after up to 1 minute of scCO(2) exposure.
- Over 70% cell viability was maintained with 4-minute depressurization times.
- A single-step scCO(2) technique successfully produced poly(dl-lactic acid) scaffolds containing viable cells.
- C2C12 cells retained osteogenic response, and microarray analysis showed minimal gene expression changes.
Conclusions:
- Mammalian cells can survive short-term exposure to scCO(2), making it a viable tool for tissue engineering.
- scCO(2) processing offers a rapid and effective method for fabricating cell-laden biodegradable scaffolds without compromising cell viability or function.
- This technique holds promise for advancing the field of regenerative medicine and biomaterial development.
