Three-dimensional (3D) cultures are increasing in use because of their ability to represent in vivo human physiology when compared to monolayer two-dimensional (2D) cultures. When grown in 3D using scaffold-free agarose hydrogels, MCF-7 human breast cancer cells self-organize to form directionally-oriented microtissues that contain a luminal space, reminiscent of the in vivo structure of the ma...

Brain is a rich environment where neurons and glia interact with neighboring cells as well as extracellular matrix in three-dimensional (3D) space. Astrocytes, which are the most abundant cells in the mammalian brain, reside in 3D space and extend highly branched processes that form microdomains and contact synapses. It has been suggested that astrocytes cultured in 3D might be maintained in a ...

The increasing interest in studying the interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) has created a need for high throughput low-cost three-dimensional (3D) culture systems. The recent development of tubeless microfluidics via passive pumping provides a high throughput microchannel culture platform compatible with existing high throughput infrastructures (e.g., automated liquid ...

U ntil recently, basic research testing the efficacy of novel anti-cancer drugs was performed on cells grown on two-dimensional (2D) glass or plastic platforms. An emerging view finds that traditional 2D cell culture may not accurately mimic the three-dimensional (3D) environment in which cancer cells reside. Specifically, the unnatural 2D environment may provide inaccurate data regarding the p...

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture has been reported to increase the therapeutic potentials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of 3D spheroids of human adipose-derived MSCs for acute kidney injury (AKI). In vitro studies indicated that 3D spheroids of MSCs produced higher levels of extracellular matrix proteins (including collagen I...

Purpose To establish a simplified three-dimensional (3D) meibomian gland culture model using a meibomian gland epithelial cell (HMGEC) line that might be a useful tool to gain deeper insights into meibomian gland dysfunction. For this purpose, 3D differentiation patterns and growth characteristics of HMGECs were studied on various membranes/scaffolds as well as in hanging drops. Methods Sever...

introduction: three-dimensional (3d) scanners are widely used in medicine. one of the applications of 3d scanners is the acquisition of anthropometric dimensions for ergonomics and the creation of an anthropometry data bank. the aim of this study was to evaluate the precision and accuracy of a modified 3d scanner fabricated in this study. methods: in this work, a 3d scan of the human body was o...

It is becoming recognized that screening of oncology drugs on a platform using two-dimensionally (2D)-cultured cell lines is unable to precisely select clinically active drugs; therefore three-dimensional (3D)-culture systems are emerging and show potential for better simulating the in vivo tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this study was to reveal the differential effects of chemotherapeu...

Metastatic processes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are highly associated with the breakdown of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the regular two-dimensional (2D) culture system, in which only little ECM is involved, fails to provide a well-defined microenvironment for HCC functional research. HAb18G/CD147, a HCC-associated antigen, plays important roles in HCC progression, migration and ...

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide an unlimited source for the generation of human hepatocytes, owing to their indefinite self-renewal and pluripotent properties. Both hESC-/iPSC-derived hepatocytes hold great promise in treating liver diseases as potential candidates for cell replacement therapies or as an in vitro platform to conduct new drug...