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Microfluidic titer plate for stratified 3D cell culture
Sebastiaan J Trietsch1, Guido D Israëls, Jos Joore
1Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Einsteinweg 55, 2333CC, Leiden, The Netherlands. trietsch@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl
Lab on a Chip
|July 27, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a novel 3D cell culture platform that mimics tissue heterogeneity using phaseguides. This organ-on-a-chip system enables advanced cell culture, toxicity assays, and cancer modeling for industrial screening.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Human tissues exhibit complex heterogeneity crucial for function.
- Existing cell culture models often fail to replicate this complexity.
- Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology offers a promising alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stratified 3D cell culture platform that captures tissue heterogeneity.
- To demonstrate the platform's utility for various biological assays and models.
- To facilitate the industrial adoption of OOC technology.
Main Methods:
- A stratified 3D cell culture platform utilizing phaseguides to pattern adjacent gel and liquid lanes.
- Continuous perfusion culture of HepG2 hepatocytes.
- Rifampicin toxicity assay.
- Co-culture of hepatocytes with fibroblasts.
- Invasion and aggregation models using 4T1 breast cancer cells.
- Integration into a microtiter plate format for automation compatibility.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of 3D cell culture with HepG2 hepatocytes under perfusion.
- Validation of a rifampicin toxicity assay.
- Establishment of co-culture models with fibroblasts.
- Effective modeling of breast cancer cell invasion and aggregation.
- Platform compatibility with automation and high-content screening.
Conclusions:
- The developed platform effectively captures human tissue heterogeneity in a 3D cell culture environment.
- The system supports diverse applications, including toxicity testing and cancer modeling.
- Its compatibility with standard equipment and automation is a key advancement for industrial OOC screening.
