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Confocal projection of Caco-2 cell culture grown on the 3D PEGDA-AA villi-like scaffolds for 14 days. Nuclei are shown in blue and F-actin is shown in green. Scale bar = 150 µm (Image: IBEC).
 15.04.2019

Moldless approach to generate 3D intestinal tissue model using hydrogels

The Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group, lead by Elena Martínez at IInstitute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has developed a new method to generate 3D intestinal tissue using hydrogels. This new in vitro model has been improved by providing cells with a more physiologically realistic environment, including tissue architecture, cell-matrix interactions and chemical signalling while remaining compatible with standard cell characterization techniques.

 

Until now, the main problem was the availability of simple fabrication techniques that could reproduce the complex geometries from native tissues in the soft polymeric materials, such as hydrogels.

Epithelial tissues contain complex three-dimensional microtopographies that are essential for their proper performance. These 3D microstructures provide cells with the physicochemical and mechanical signals needed to guide their self-organization into functional tissue structures and are key to their proper functioning.

In the small intestine, crypts and villi provide the tissue with a large surface area, which increases the volume and residence time of the fluids improving its absorptive function of nutrients and drugs. However, most in-vitro models do not implement these 3D features. Conventional models are based on flat monolayers of cell on hard substrates, which is not optimal for the predictive capacity of current preclinical assays.

New method to fabricate 3D hydrogels mimicking the architecture of the small intestine

Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers with high water content that mimic the mechanical properties of tissues and are used as substrates for cell culture mainly in 2D

The IBEC’s approach presents a new technology to fabricate 3D hydrogels mimicking the architecture of the small intestine. This method uses conventional photolithography to fabricate 3D microstructures with complex geometries on poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels (PEGDA) in a single step and moldless approach. This new method is simple and cost-effective for producing models of intestinal epithelium that can be easily integrated into standard cell culture platforms.

With this new procedure it has been demonstrated the suitability of the photolithography technique for producing 3D microstructures with complex morphologies without the need for molding and demolding steps.

► For further information: IBEC website [+]