Level D· Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studiesLaboratory StudyPubMed

A co-culture device with a tunable stiffness to understand combinatorial cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.

Rao N., Grover GN., Vincent LG., Evans SC., Choi YS., Spencer KH.

Laboratory Study, published in Integr Biol (Camb) (2013) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

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Level D· Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studiesEvidence level of this study

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

  • Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
  • Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
  • Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
  • Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
  • Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
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This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Laboratory Study
Journal
Integr Biol (Camb) (2013)
Country
England
Reported sample size
—
Source database
PubMed
PMID
24061208
PMCID
PMC3848881
DOI
10.1039/c3ib40078f
Citations
20

Abstract (original English)

Cell behavior on 2-D in vitro cultures is continually being improved to better mimic in vivo physiological conditions by combining niche cues including multiple cell types and substrate stiffness, which are well known to impact cell phenotype. However, no system exists in which a user can systematically examine cell behavior on a substrate with a specific stiffness (elastic modulus) in culture with a different cell type, while maintaining distinct cell populations. We demonstrate the modification of a silicon reconfigurable co-culture system with a covalently linked hydrogel of user-defined stiffness. This device allows the user to control whether two separate cell populations are in contact with each other or only experience paracrine interactions on substrates of controllable stiffness. To illustrate the utility of this device, we examined the role of substrate stiffness combined with myoblast co-culture on adipose derived stem cell (ASC) differentiation and found that the presence of myoblasts and a 10 kPa substrate stiffness increased ASC myogenesis versus co-culture on stiff substrates. As this example highlights, this technology better controls the in vitro microenvironment, allowing the user to develop a more thorough understanding of the combined effects of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
  • • This is preclinical work; animal or laboratory results cannot be applied to humans.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

How we grade evidence
Adipose TissueAdultCell CommunicationCell Culture TechniquesCell DifferentiationCell MembraneCell MovementCell ProliferationCoculture TechniquesElastic Modulus

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