Artificial tissue bioreactor (ATB) for biological and imaging applications

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Tissue Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems are vital for studying complex tissue biology.
• Existing systems often lack the ability to simulate in vivo microenvironments and allow for real-time analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize an artificial tissue bioreactor (ATB) that mimics the 3D structure and microenvironment of tissues.
• To integrate the ATB with microPET imaging for in vivo analysis.
• To demonstrate the ATB's utility in studying metabolic responses, specifically lipid effects on glucose utilization.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel artificial tissue bioreactor (ATB) with multiple sampling points.
• Integration of the ATB with a microPET Focus F220 scanner.
• Characterization of HepG2 cells within the ATB to assess lipid effects on glucose utilization.
• Parallel Glucose Tolerance Tests (GTT) on media samples.
• Measurement of fatty acid uptake using [(11)C]Palmitate and microPET imaging.

Main Results:

• The ATB successfully simulates a 3D tissue microenvironment.
• The system allowed for pre- and post-intervention studies with pioglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist.
• [(11)C]Palmitate uptake was measurable via microPET imaging, demonstrating fatty acid utilization within the ATB.

Conclusions:

• The artificial tissue bioreactor (ATB) is a valuable tool for studying tissue biology and metabolic processes in a controlled 3D environment.
• The ATB facilitates the integration of microPET imaging for quantitative analysis of cellular uptake and metabolic activity.
• This technology can accelerate the validation and translation of findings from in vitro to pre-clinical and clinical studies.