High-throughput scaffold-free microtissues through 3D printing.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures offer greater physiological relevance than 2D cultures for drug screening and disease modeling.
• Existing 3D cell culture methods, including scaffold-based systems and hydrogels, face challenges in cost-effectiveness and high-throughput scalability.
• Scaffold-free 3D microtissue assays are desirable for recapitulating native tissue environments and cell-cell interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of consumer-grade 3D printing for fabricating scaffold-free 3D spheroidal microtissues.
• To develop a cost-effective and high-throughput method for generating 3D microtissues suitable for drug screening.

Main Methods:

• Utilized consumer-grade 3D printing to fabricate 96-well cell culture inserts designed for liquid suspension.
• Employed the 3D printed inserts to create scaffold-free microtissues using human glioblastoma, mesenchymal stem cells, and intestinal smooth muscle cells.
• Demonstrated the ability to control cell density within the formed microtissues.

Main Results:

• Consumer-grade 3D printing successfully produced inserts capable of forming scaffold-free microtissues in liquid culture.
• The microtissues generated were consistent and allowed for controllable cell densities.
• These microtissues proved suitable for the screening of bioactive agents.

Conclusions:

• The 3D printed microtissue inserts provide an economical solution for 3D cell culture research.
• This method supports the evaluation of diverse cell types, co-cultures, and drug candidates.
• Potential applications include pharmaceuticals, disease modeling, and tissue engineering.