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Effects of substrate patterning on cellular spheroid growth and dynamics measured by gradient light interference
Michael J Fanous1,2, Yanfen Li1,3, Mikhail E Kandel2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
Journal of Biophotonics
|August 11, 2019
Summary
Engineered substrates promote rotational cell transport and faster vertical growth in 3D cultures. This study uses advanced imaging to reveal how substrate geometry influences cell dynamics and tissue development.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) cellular architecture development involves complex cell migration modulated by genetics and microenvironment.
- Substrate composition influences cell growth, proliferation, and migration in 2D cultures, but its effect on 3D growth dynamics is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of engineered substrate geometry on the growth and dynamics of mouse embryonic fibroblast cultures exhibiting 3D growth.
- To quantify radial and rotational cell mass transport using novel imaging techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized gradient light interference microscopy (GLIM), a label-free quantitative phase imaging technique.
- Applied dispersion-relation phase spectroscopy (DPS) in polar coordinates for the first time to analyze cell mass transport.
- Studied patterned tissue sheets of mouse embryonic fibroblast cultures.
Main Results:
- Cells cultured on engineered substrates exhibited radially independent rotational transport.
- Engineered substrates led to faster vertical cell growth compared to unpatterned control cells.
- GLIM and polar DPS provided novel quantitative insights into cell motility and growth influenced by substrate patterning.
Conclusions:
- Spatially patterned substrates significantly influence cell motility and 3D growth dynamics.
- The combination of GLIM and polar DPS offers a powerful new approach for studying cell-substrate interactions in engineered tissues.
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