Building multiple microenvironmental niches using a customizable 3D printed well insert.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Advanced in vitro models require customized cellular microenvironments to replicate physiological crosstalk.
• Hydrogels mimic tissue niches but need integration with patterning platforms like bioprinting or microfluidics.
• Existing platforms face limitations in material compatibility (bioprinting) or multiplexing (microfluidics).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile platform for patterning multiple hydrogel niches with tunable properties.
• To address the limitations of current bioprinting and microfluidic patterning techniques.
• To create a customizable and accessible system for advanced in vitro co-culture models.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Localized Microenvironment Well-Insert (LM-Well), a 3D-printed device.
• Utilizing capillary force-driven patterning for diverse hydrogel formulations (natural, photo-crosslinkable, synthetic click).
• Integration of functional materials (e.g., oxygen-scavenging microcapsules) and micro-architectural supports (e.g., micropillars).

Main Results:

• The LM-Well successfully patterned multiple hydrogel niches with customizable physicochemical properties.
• Demonstrated control over local oxygen levels, modulating tumor growth and hepatic zonation.
• Established a liver-tumor co-culture model, recapitulating altered drug efficacy due to cell-cell interactions.

Conclusions:

• The LM-Well is a versatile and accessible platform for creating physiologically relevant co-cultures.
• It facilitates the use of diverse biomaterials and customizable niches for advanced in vitro modeling.
• This technology advances the development of complex tissue models for drug discovery and biological studies.