Applying Stirred Perfusion to 3D Tissue Equivalents to Mimic the Dynamic In Vivo Microenvironment.
Complex three-dimensional (3D) tissue equivalents have been widely developed with applications with a multitude of organs and tissues. While these systems lead to significant improvements over conventional two-dimensional culture, the static conditions of the surrounding medium still present a limitation to the physiological relevance of these models. Medium perfusion and convective mixing can be introduced to these models through a variety of techniques using equipment such as pumps and rockers. These systems can easily become very complex or suffer from limited control over the fluid flow properties. We have developed a bioreactor enabling controlled perfusion of 3D tissue equivalents utilizing a magnetic stirrer-based system, allowing for scalability and ease of use. This system has demonstrated potential applications in a range of tissues such as the liver, intestine, and skin, with many other potential applications yet to be tested. Our solution provides users with a low cost and easy to use alternative to complex bioreactor systems while still providing high levels of control over fluid flow and structural properties of the tissue constructs.
['Hoyle|Henry W|HW|', 'Mobbs|Claire L|CL|', 'Przyborski|Stefan A|SA|']
Perfusion Bioreactor Alvetex® Organotypic culture Three-dimensional cell culture Tissue engineering