PUZZLE GAME: Hydrogel cylinders containing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hydrogel rectangles containing endothelial cells (ECs) settle into their respective holes in a hydrogel template (above). After 7 days of culture in the template, the MSCs were seen migrating towards the ECs (below).COURTESY OF GORDANA VUNJAK-NOVAKOVIC. PNAS, 110:4551-56, 2013In living tissue, cells interact with other cells, nutrients, and signaling molecules in complex 3-D microenvironments. Recreating such spatial arrangements in culture can be challenging, says Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, a professor of biomedical engineering and medical sciences at Columbia University in New York City. But her new approach makes the process practically child’s play.
COURTESY OF GORDANA VUNJAK-NOVAKOVIC. PNAS, 110:4551-56, 2013
Like the toddler game of fitting shapes into matching holes, the technique involves mixing a selection of hydrogel shapes—cylinders, rectangles, cubes, each containing a certain type of cell or molecule—and allowing them to settle into holes in a hydrogel template that are cut to fit each specific shape. And just as a toddler might fail to find the right hole on the first try, only about one in five hydrogel shapes hit their target initially. Once in their holes, however, the shapes stay in place, and subsequent rounds of shaking and settling allow more holes to be filled.
Using this ...
