title: Three-dimensional type I collagen cell culture systems for the study of bone pathophysiology.
abstract: Three-dimensional (3-D) type I collagen cell culture systems composed of reconstituted collagen fibres are able to support short- and long-term growth of various cell types, including cancer cell lines, endothelial cells, endometrial cells, hepatocytes, osteoblasts and fibroblasts and to sustain or even enhance cell differentiation, in vitro. In addition, 3-D culture systems have been successfully used in the investigation of complex biological processes, such as angiogenesis, wound healing, tumour invasion and metastasis. The latter suggested that 3-D culture systems have the potential to simulate cell-cell interactions, which take place in tissues under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. This review focuses on the investigational use of 3-D collagen cell culture systems in bone physiology and the pathophysiology of skeletal metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Themistocleous
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katopodis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sourla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lembessis
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Doillon
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Soucacos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutsilieris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000556:secondary; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology*; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I