Multifunction co-culture model for evaluating cell-cell interactions.

Interactions within the same cell population (homotypic) and between different cell types (heterotypic) are essential for tissue development, repair, and homeostasis. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these cellular interactions, co-culture models have been used extensively to investigate the role of cell-cell physical contact, autocrine and/or paracrine interactions on cell function, as well as stem cell differentiation. Specifically, the mixed co-culture model is often optimal for interpreting the effects of cell-cell contact on cellular behavior in vitro, while indirect co-culture can be used to study the effects of paracrine signaling on cell reactions. Additionally, cell-cell contact can be controlled by establishing physical barriers, which are used to regulate spatial and temporal cell distribution patterns in co-culture. In this chapter, we describe a method for forming a removable permeable divider for temporally and spatially controlling cellular interactions. This model can be used to study the impact of both cell-cell contact and paracrine signaling on the behavior of the mixed population as a whole and on the response of each subpopulation of cells in co-culture.