Improved function and growth of pancreatic cells in a three-dimensional bioreactor environment.
Methods of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture have made significant progress in recent years due to a better understanding of cell to cell interactions and the cell's interface with their surrounding environment. We hypothesized that a microgravity 3D culture system would improve upon the growth and function of a pancreatic progenitor cell population. We developed a rotating wall vessel bioreactor and established a culture system using a pancreatic cell line. Cells in the bioreactors showed robust proliferation, enhanced transcriptional signaling, and improved translation of pancreatic genes compared with two-dimensional static culture. Cells also gained the ability to respond to glucose stimulation, which was not observed in the control cultures. These findings suggest that a 3D microgravity bioreactor environment mimics the niche of the pancreas yielding a cell source with potential for cell-based therapy in the treatment of diabetes.
Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. llrice@med.unc.edu
Lisa
L
Samuelson
David A
DA
Gerber
D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D051379:Mice; D008863:Microspheres; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; C495682:Slc2a2 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein; D005947:Glucose