Reality is 3D. So, why do scientists grow adult stem cells in 2D layers in the lab? That's the question Paul Genever of the University of York asked. So, he decided try to recreate the microscopic 3D environment that stem cells would normally occupy in our bodies. What he came up with were 3D spheres, rather than 2D layers, of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that he says will widely broaden the promise of these types of cells.
According to a release, in work funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC) and Smith & Nephew, these new 3D spheres show the postential to become early precursors to heart muscle cells.
"In the past we've grown MSCs in 2D layers in the lab and they are only really strongly inclined to become bone, fat or cartilage--they are very useful for research and therapy, but in both cases would largely be limited to these three cell types," Genever said in the release. "Our 3D technique aims to recreate the nutrients, oxygen levels and mechanical forces that these cells would normally experience inside our bodies."
Genever's goal is to give an accurate picture of all the factors that influence the ability of MSCs to produce different types of cells for regenerative medicine.
- read more in a release from the BBSRC