Engineering microenvironment for expansion of sensitive anchorage-dependent mammalian cells.
Tissue engineering involves ex vivo seeding of anchorage-dependent mammalian cells onto scaffolds, or transplanting cells in vivo. The cell expansion currently requires repeated cell detachment from solid substrata by enzymatic, chemical or mechanical means. The report here presents a high yield three-dimensional culture and harvest system circumventing the conventional detachment requirements. Cells mixed with dilute cationic collagen were microencapsulated within an ultra-thin shell of synthetic polymers. The cationic collagen could rapidly form a conformal layer of collagen fibers around cells to support cell proliferation and functions. The collagen could be readily removed from cells with a buffer rinse after harvesting from the fragile microcapsules. The cells harvested from this system demonstrate improved attachment, morphology and functions over conventionally cultured cells, upon binding to ligand-conjugated polymer surfaces. The harvested cells can be re-encapsulated and allowed to proliferate again, or used immediately in applications.
Chia
Ser-Mien
SM
Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Lin
Pao-Chun
PC
Quek
Chai-Hoon
CH
Yin
Chao
C
Mao
Hai-Quan
HQ
Leong
Kam W
KW
Xu
Xi
X
Goh
Cho-Hong
CH
Ng
Mah-Lee
ML
Yu
Hanry
H
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003094:Collagen; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats
D003094:Collagen