Three-Dimensional Rotating Wall Vessel-Derived Cell Culture Models for Studying Virus-Host Interactions

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Understanding complex virus-host interactions is crucial for advancing viral pathogenesis and immune response research.
• Physiologically relevant models are limited, hindering the study of viral factors and host immunity.
• Conventional monolayer cell cultures lack the complex microenvironments and tissue architecture found in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of three-dimensional (3D) human cell cultures in modeling virus-host interactions.
• To introduce the rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor as a method for generating physiologically relevant 3D human tissue models.
• To demonstrate the application of these 3D models in studying viral infections and host responses.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactors, originally developed by NASA, to culture human cells.
• Cultivating various human cell types, including neuronal and vaginal tissues, in a low fluid-shear environment within RWV bioreactors.
• Developing complex 3D tissue-like aggregates that mimic native tissue architecture and microenvironments.

Main Results:

• RWV bioreactors enable the formation of 3D human tissue aggregates that recapitulate in vivo features.
• These 3D RWV-derived aggregates support productive viral infection.
• Physiologically meaningful host immune responses are observed in these 3D models.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional (3D) human cell cultures generated in RWV bioreactors provide robust and physiologically relevant models for studying virus-host interactions.
• These advanced models are suitable for basic science, preclinical, and translational research, offering improved insights into viral pathogenesis and host immunity.
• The RWV bioreactor system enhances the translational utility of cell culture models for infectious disease research.