Multilayered microcultures
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsTejal Desai, Wei Tan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multilayer microculture capable of modeling complex in vitro structures such as mammalian tissues and organ structures is provided, along with methods for producing such a microculture and methods of using such microcultures for assaying for modulators of cell-cell interaction, cell migration, cell proliferation, cell adhesion or cellular or organismal physiology. Further provided are methods of identifying hazardous materials such as environmental toxins and pollutants (e.g., carcinogenic compounds), and methods of monitoring organismal physiology.
Claims23
A multilayer microculture comprising a plurality of three-dimensional non-fluid layers, wherein each layer comprises at least one cell type and a biopolymer selected from the group consisting of collagen, chitosan, fibronectin, matrigel, fibrin, and mixtures thereof, and wherein each layer comprises a width less than one millimeter.
A method for producing a multilayer microculture comprising:
- (a) introducing a first material comprising a first cell matrix compound and a first cell type to a microstructure by microfluidic delivery, wherein said material is introduced as a fluid;
- (b) attaching said first material to at least one surface of said microstructure;
- (c) incubating said first material under conditions suitable for at least one component of said material to polymerize and for said material to contract in at least one dimension;
- and
- (d) repeating step (a) with a second material comprising a second cell matrix compound and a second cell type;
- (e) attaching said second material to said first material;
- and
- (f) incubating said second material under conditions suitable for at least one component of said second material to polymerize, thereby producing a multilayer microculture.
18-19. (canceled)
21-25. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.