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Body on‐chip and 3D culture: An overview
Author(s) -
Klingelhutz Aloysius John,
Gourronc Francoise,
Chaly Anna,
Ankrum James
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.88.1
Subject(s) - spheroid , adipose tissue , biology , organ on a chip , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , neuroscience , microfluidics , nanotechnology , genetics , materials science , endocrinology
The development of better methods to grow human tissue in conditions that more closely recapitulate normal physiology and anatomy (i.e. biomimetic technology) will greatly enhance drug and toxin testing as well as advance our understanding of biology. Two dimensional (2D) cell culture has been extremely valuable for research, but cells grown in 2D culture are not subject to the same mechanical and physiologic conditions as cells in tissue. While animal studies are an alternative, rodents and humans often exhibit large differences with regard to their responses to drugs and toxins. Furthermore, animal studies can be expensive. Growing cells in 3D conditions is challenging but advances are being made that allow researchers to do so. One relatively straightforward method relies on hanging drop technology to develop 3D spheroids. These spheroids often exhibit differential growth and differentiation as compared to 2D culture. Methods to generate and grow spheroids as well as our experience with the development of human adipose spheroids will be discussed. Tissue on‐chip technology in a microfluidics platform raises the possibility of incorporating 3D tissue into a system that allows one to carefully regulate what the tissues are exposed to and to measure what they secrete. Advances are being made in development of tissue on‐chip culture systems for lung, cardiac, and liver, as well as other tissues. These approaches could greatly advance the ability to test how different factors affect physiology. In addition, it may also be possible to make connections between different tissue types (i.e. body on‐chip), thus allowing an assessment of how one cell or tissue type affects another. Innovative methods for 3D culture and tissue/body on‐chip technology will be reviewed. Support or Funding Information Development of a human white fat biomimetic, University of Iowa Vice President for Research Internal Funding Initiation; Role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in adipogenesis and diabetes, University of Iowa Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center Pilot Award