Stromal fibroblasts are suggested to be a key determinant in the malignant progression of breast cancer. To find an in vitro culture model that best mimics the in vivo tumor microenvironment so we can study the effects of stromal fibroblasts on breast cancer progression, we evaluated several three-dimensional (3D) co-culture models in order to identify the most suitable culture model for our st...

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the formation of gap junctions and to characterize the expression of Connexin (CX) 43 during the proliferation of Malassez’s epithelial rest (MER) cells. Materials and Methods: MER cells derived from the porcine periodontal ligament were cultured in 35 mm dishes as 2D culture. MER cells mixed with type 1 collagen gels were also cu...

In vitro 3D culture is an important model for tissues in vivo. Cells in different locations of 3D tissues are physiologically different, because they are exposed to different concentrations of oxygen, nutrients, and signaling molecules, and to other environmental factors (temperature, mechanical stress, etc). The majority of high-throughput assays based on 3D cultures, however, can only detect ...

The ability to simultaneously image multiple biomolecules in biologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) cell culture environments would contribute greatly to the understanding of complex cellular mechanisms and cell-material interactions. Here, we present a computational framework for label-free quantitative volumetric Raman imaging (qVRI). We apply qVRI to a selection of biological systems: ...

BACKGROUND Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used in the treatment of patients suffering from hematologic and non-hematologic disorders, but the application is limited by the identification of a suitable donor. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. Despite all advantages, the limited cell dose is one of the  maj...

Objective(s): In order to grow cells in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment, self-assembling peptides, such as PuraMatrix, have emerged with potential to mimic the extracellular matrix. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the self-assembling peptide on the morphology, survival, proliferation rate, migration potential, and differentiation of human meningioma st...

Utilizing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in cell-based therapy and drug discovery requires large-scale cell production. However, scaling up conventional adherent cultures presents challenges of maintaining a uniform high quality at low cost. In this regard, suspension cultures are a viable alternative, because they are scalable and do not require adhesion surfaces. 3D culture systems such...

There are several differentiation methods for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into hepatocyte-like cell. Investigators reported various hepatic differentiation protocols such as modifying culturing conditions or using various growth factors/cytokines. In this literature review, we compared different MSCs extraction and isolation protocols from Wharton’s jelly (WJ) and explored various MSCs differ...

Wells EK, Yarborough O 3rd, Lifton RP, Cantley LG, Caplan MJ. Epithelial morphogenesis of MDCK cells in three-dimensional collagen culture is modulated by interleukin-8. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 304: C966 –C975, 2013. First published March 13, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00261.2012.—Epithelial morphogenesis is dependent upon a variety of factors, many of which involve complex interactions betwee...