High Throughput, Polymeric Aqueous Two-Phase Printing of Tumor Spheroids.

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a new 3D culture microtechnology for high throughput production of tumor spheroids and validates its utility for screening anti-cancer drugs. We use two immiscible polymeric aqueous solutions and microprint a submicroliter drop of the "patterning" phase containing cells into a bath of the "immersion" phase. Selecting proper formulations of biphasic systems using a panel of biocompatible polymers results in the formation of a round drop that confines cells to facilitate spontaneous formation of a spheroid without any external stimuli. Adapting this approach to robotic tools enables straightforward generation and maintenance of spheroids of well-defined size in standard microwell plates and biochemical analysis of spheroids in situ, which is not possible with exist

SUBMITTER: Atefi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4233147 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature