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A New Method to Prepare Multicellular Spheroids in Cancer Cell Lines Using a Thermo‐Reversible Gelation Polymer
Author(s) -
Tsukikawa Satoshi,
Matsuoka Hiromitsu,
Kurahashi Yuko,
Konno Yasushi,
Satoh Koh,
Satoh Ryotaroh,
Isogai Akiko,
Kimura Kanako,
Watanabe Yasuharu,
Nakano Suehiro,
Hayashi Junya,
Kubota Sunao
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1594.2003.07131.x
Subject(s) - spheroid , polymer , materials science , multicellular organism , phase (matter) , aqueous solution , biophysics , cell culture , cancer cell , chemical engineering , chemistry , cell , cancer , in vitro , composite material , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , genetics
The purpose of this study is to utilize the thermo‐reversible gelation polymer in which the sol‐gel transitting phase is reversibly changed by temperature in a three‐dimensional culture system. Human cancer cells have been observed to form multicellular spheroids, whereas fibroblasts slowly develop into small spheroids with the culture medium including this polymer. This polymer has some advantages for use as a culture material, as follows: first, cancer cells grow three‐dimensionally in the aqueous solution of this polymer; second, it is easy to harvest cells or spheroids in the aqueous solution of this polymer by simply cooling down the temperature; and third, the culture medium including this polymer is so translucent that the cells or spheroids can be observed through a phase‐contrast microscope. We thus conclude that this polymer is a very useful material for three‐dimensional cultures.