3-D Environment for Cell Cultures,
There is a major stumbling block to create a 3-D environment for the creation of human organs and the proper analysis of cancer invasiveness. A new approach to the process is being studied by Thomas Killian at Rice University. This new approach is called Magnetic Levitation. The temporary conventional methods used currently are the degradable porous scaffolds, protein matrices, protein-based gels, but Dr. Killian argues that through the use of magnets and magnetic nanoparticles, current obstacles within the 3-D arena will be removed.
His method requires a three dimensional Bio-Assembler that will rely on cellular uptake of a compatible gel containing iron oxide and gold nanoparticles. As most of you'll have already read through various other articles, the potential of magnetic forces is already well recognized. The desire of Dr. Killian is to craete a levitated 3-D cell culture. The presupposition is that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are well tolerated by mmmalian cells, a result that is backed up by previous reports. To form the cultures (levitated), they incubate cells with gel that allows neighboring cells to absorb the nanoparticles. Then an external magnet causes the cells to rise to the air-medium interface. Within 12 hours, multicellular structures assemble. This was tested with neural stem cells, and they formed branching configurations consistent with aggregated cell clusters.
This new application of creating 3-D cell environment provides new opportunities for culturing and manipulating mixed populations of cells. This method has an extremely powerful potential for analysis of brain tumor invasiveness in co-culture assays. Recent studies have demonstrated that cancer cells growing in two-dimensional sheets are not the optimal places to study for anticancer agents. Creating this optimal 3-D environment can impact the race for the cure of cancer much quicker.
posted by daniel callahan at 8:09 PM
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