Rapid Formation of Multicellular Spheroids in Double-Emulsion Droplets with Controllable Microenvironment
December 2013
in “
Scientific Reports
”
TLDR A new method quickly creates controllable cell clusters for tissue engineering and drug testing.
The study presented a novel method for rapidly forming multicellular spheroids using microfluidics-generated double-emulsion droplets, which acted as pico-liter sized bioreactors. This approach enabled the creation of size-controllable spheroids within 150 minutes, much faster than traditional methods. The technique allowed for the encapsulation of human mesenchymal stem cell spheroids in alginate and alginate-RGD microgels, enhancing osteogenic differentiation. The method provided a high-throughput, scalable solution for spheroid production with a tunable microenvironment, offering potential applications in tissue engineering and drug testing. The study emphasized the importance of spheroid size and microenvironmental cues in directing stem cell behavior and differentiation.
