BACKGROUND: Inside the body, cells lie in direct contact or in close proximity to other cell types in a tightly controlled architecture that often regulates the resulting tissue function. Therefore, tissue engineering constructs that aim to reproduce the architecture and the geometry of tissues will benefit from methods of controlling cell-cell interactions with microscale resolution. SCOPE OF THE REVIEW: We discuss the use of microfabrication technologies for generating patterned co-cultures. In addition, we categorize patterned co-culture systems by cell type and discuss the implications of regulating cell-cell interactions in the resulting biological function of the tissues. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Patterned co-cultures are a useful tool for fabricating tissue engineered constructs and for studying cell-cell interactions in vitro, because they can be used to control the degree of homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell contact. In addition, this approach can be manipulated to elucidate important factors involved in cell-matrix interactions. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Patterned co-culture strategies hold significant potential to develop biomimetic structures for tissue engineering. It is expected that they would create opportunities to develop artificial tissues in the future. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Nanotechnologies - Emerging Applications in Biomedicine. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
BACKGROUND: Inside the body, cells lie in direct contact or in close proximity to other cell types in a tightly controlled architecture that often regulates the resulting tissue function. Therefore, tissue engineering constructs that aim to reproduce the architecture and the geometry of tissues will benefit from methods of controlling cell-cell interactions with microscale resolution. SCOPE OF THE REVIEW: We discuss the use of microfabrication technologies for generating patterned co-cultures. In addition, we categorize patterned co-culture systems by cell type and discuss the implications of regulating cell-cell interactions in the resulting biological function of the tissues. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Patterned co-cultures are a useful tool for fabricating tissue engineered constructs and for studying cell-cell interactions in vitro, because they can be used to control the degree of homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell contact. In addition, this approach can be manipulated to elucidate important factors involved in cell-matrix interactions. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Patterned co-culture strategies hold significant potential to develop biomimetic structures for tissue engineering. It is expected that they would create opportunities to develop artificial tissues in the future. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Nanotechnologies - Emerging Applications in Biomedicine. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors: D T Chiu; N L Jeon; S Huang; R S Kane; C J Wargo; I S Choi; D E Ingber; G M Whitesides Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2000-03-14 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Millicent C Ford; James P Bertram; Sara Royce Hynes; Michael Michaud; Qi Li; Michael Young; Steven S Segal; Joseph A Madri; Erin B Lavik Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2006-02-10 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: C Guguen-Guillouzo; B Clément; G Baffet; C Beaumont; E Morel-Chany; D Glaise; A Guillouzo Journal: Exp Cell Res Date: 1983-01 Impact factor: 3.905
Authors: Shawn P Grogan; Chantal Pauli; Peter Chen; Jiang Du; Christine B Chung; Seong Deok Kong; Clifford W Colwell; Martin K Lotz; Sungho Jin; Darryl D D'Lima Journal: Tissue Eng Part C Methods Date: 2012-02-10 Impact factor: 3.056
Authors: Ioannis K Zervantonakis; Chandrasekhar R Kothapalli; Seok Chung; Ryo Sudo; Roger D Kamm Journal: Biomicrofluidics Date: 2011-03-30 Impact factor: 2.800