Controlling cell interactions by micropatterning in co-cultures: Hepatocytes and 3T3 fibroblasts

✍ Scribed by Bhatia, Sangeeta N. ;Yarmush, Martin L. ;Toner, Mehmet

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 593 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4636(199702)34:2<189::aid-jbm8>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

The repair or replacement of damaged tissues using in vitro two different cell types based on existing strategies for surstrategies has focused on manipulation of the cell environ-face modification with aminosilanes linked to biomolecules ment by modulation of cell-extracellular matrix interactions, and the manipulation of serum content of cell culture media. cell-cell interactions, or soluble stimuli. Many of these envi-This co-culture technique allowed manipulation of the initial ronmental influences are easily controlled using macroscopic cellular microenvironment without variation of cell number. techniques; however, in co-culture systems with two or more Specifically, we were able to control the level of homotypic cell types, cell-cell interactions have been difficult to manipu-interaction in cultures of a single cell type and the degree of late precisely using similar methods. Although microfabrica-heterotypic contact in co-cultures over a wide range. This tion has been widely utilized for the spatial control of cells methodology has potential applications in tissue engineerin culture, these methods have never been adapted to the ing, implant biology, and developmental biology, both in simultaneous co-cultivation of more than one cell type. We the arena of basic science and optimization of function for have developed a versatile technique for micropatterning of technological applications.