Fabrication of functional three-dimensional tissues by stacking cell sheets in vitro

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Fabricating functional 3D tissues in vitro is essential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• 3D tissue models are vital for accurate drug screening and understanding disease mechanisms.
• Existing methods face challenges in replicating native tissue complexity and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe protocols for fabricating functional 3D tissues using cell sheet engineering.
• To demonstrate the potential of this technology for creating various tissue types.
• To highlight the application of 3D engineered tissues in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a temperature-responsive culture system to detach confluent cell sheets.
• Layering and stacking these cell sheets to form three-dimensional tissue constructs.
• Incorporating different cell types, such as cardiac cells and endothelial cells, into the stacked constructs.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated functional 3D cardiac tissues that exhibit spontaneous, synchronous, and macroscopic pulsation.
• Demonstrated the ability to create 3D tissues with integrated capillary-like prevascular networks by sandwiching endothelial cells.
• Validated the versatility of cell sheet stacking for generating diverse tissue architectures.

Conclusions:

• Cell sheet stacking is a promising technology for fabricating functional 3D tissues and organ models in vitro.
• This technique offers a viable approach for developing advanced therapies for tissue and organ repair.
• The engineered tissues hold significant potential for improving drug screening efficacy and patient outcomes.