How 3D Tissue Culture Brings Your Experiments to Life | 3D Cell Culture Developments | Corning

2D cell culture is still used around the world as a primary experimental tool, and with good reason. This traditional model has helped scientists identify toxicities associated with drug candidates, understand how viruses affect human cells, develop cancer treatments, and uncover many more medical marvels.

However, the lack of dimensionality and complexity of 2D models results in a less biologically relevant cell culture model. Without cells of the same type packed around them in three dimensions, and without cells of other types nearby, most human and animal cells simply don't develop the way they would in vivo.

The differences in how 2D and 3D cell cultures behave are not minor in magnitude, nor are they random in nature. Complex biological processes almost always involve directional or density-based considerations that 2D cell cultures simply cannot account for. Tumor cells grown in 3D tissue culture can better replicate the gene expression patterns, heterogeneity in access to oxygen and nutrients, and drug responses found in solid tumors in vivo. Three-dimensional cultures of neural cells replicate aspects of cell-cell signaling and neural disease pathology that 2D cultures cannot provide.

Researchers have observed that 3D arrangements of tumor cells can affect cell behaviors, including differentiation, progression, and metastasis. Because these cells naturally exist in a 3D environment, they are almost always hardier and more viable in that form than in a thin layer or a monolayer. As a result, 2D cultures could systematically overestimate the effectiveness of chemical countermeasures.

Put simply, 3D cultures better mimic in vivo conditions because they naturally provide cells with a closer replica of the physical environment they need to interact with.

Because 3D cell cultures are so effective, more types are becoming available.

• The simplest 3D cultures—spheroids—are spherical aggregates of cells, usually of a single cell type. They are often used in cancer research and toxicology studies.

• Organoid models are 3D cultures with a specific arrangement of more than one cell type associated with a particular organ. These models often have polarity and an inner lumen and are used to better replicate normal physiology, disease mechanisms, and drug responses.

• Organ-on-a-chip models combine microfluidics with 3D culture techniques to create miniature devices that mimic the physiology of a specific organ. Current applications include preclinical drug efficacy, safety testing and disease modeling.

• Other 3D cell culture variations using techniques like bioprinting are being developed for research or in regenerative medicine.

Until recently, the time-consuming process of developing a working 3D culture for research prevented many labs from using it. But there are now a myriad of products that help researchers efficiently design and grow a wide variety of viable 3D cultures.

Researchers can use optimized hydrogels, like Corning^® Matrigel^® Matrix for Organoid Culture, to provide a physical matrix that enables growth in three dimensions, along with the signaling factors needed to facilitate that growth. Researchers can also employ spheroid microplates to quickly run spheroid screens.

Recent publications have reported on a wealth of techniques for creating 3D cultures to replicate functions and disease mechanisms of the kidney, retina, brain tissue, heart, liver, and other organs.

Ultimately, patients will feel the impact of this technology the most. For example, precision medicine research promises to adapt treatment to patients' specific biological makeup. 3D culture techniques are contributing to precision medicine research in oncology and other fields.

The potential of 3D tissue culture is finally being realized in labs around the world, and researchers can now better marry the ease of the traditional Petri dish to the validity of a real animal model.

Learn more and explore the latest developments with Corning's 3D Cell Culture ebooks, webinars, and videos.