Neural differentiation of pluripotent cells in 3D alginate-based cultures

Developments in 3D neural cell culture models: the future of neurotherapeutics testing?

“…When using constructs that require a polymerization reaction to form a 3D matrix, care must be taken to select appropriate crosslinking agents to avoid negative effects on cell viability. Material type, size, structure, and mechanical properties can also influence cell culture outcomes, for example stem cell differentiation, neurite outgrowth, and cellular organization [3][4][5]. Mammary gland cells were observed to have differing morphologies and behaviors when grown in Matrigel versus type I collagen [24].…”

“…In 2D cell culture, cells are forced to adhere to a flat, hard plastic, or glass surface. These unfamiliar mechanical cues and lack of 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) support can have a significant impact on cellular behavior, function, growth, and morphology [2][3][4][5]. With the complexities of the nervous system, these changes can greatly skew experimental outcomes.…”

Cell encapsulation: technical and clinical advances

“…This allowed researchers to elucidate the compressive forces that slow tumor progression but at the same time trigger cell invasion and metastasis (Figure 3). Similarly, culturing mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) in 3D alginate beads enhanced differentiation toward neural lineages when compared with 2D cultures [84]. Indeed, 3D models are gradually replacing many of the conventional 2D flat-surface culture systems [85,86].…”

Microscale Architecture in Biomaterial Scaffolds for Spatial Control of Neural Cell Behavior

“…NCs elongate cell bodies, extend processes, and migrate preferentially in alignment with fiber scaffold orientation. However, electrospun fibers have not yet been translated into homogeneous 3D biomaterial scaffolds, and differences in NC behavior have been observed when moving from 2D culture systems to 3D culture systems (Lampe et al, 2010;Bozza et al, 2014;Park et al, 2014;Shin et al, 2014). Current attempts at creating 3D biomaterial scaffolds from electrospun fiber are limited to layering a fiber mesh sandwiched between gels or in-between another biomaterial and NCs.…”