Papers by Keyword: Spheroid

Abstract: Micropatterned PEGylated substrates with two-dimensional arrays of plasma-etched circular domains (diameter:100 micro-m) were prepared by coating of mercapto-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on Au surface, followed by plasma-etching through a metal mask pattern with circular holes. The PEGylated region on the patterned substrate works to repel proteins, consequently, inhibits cell adhesion. Then the micro-patterning of bovine articular chondrocytes or rat primary hepatocytes hetero-spheroids underlaid with human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) was achieved on the plasma-etched circular domains, exposing the base gold surface. Obtained results suggested that the efficiency of inhibiting non-specific protein adsorption significantly affects on construction of micro-patterned cell adhesion and hetero-spheroids. The formation of hetero-spheroid thus suggested is significantly modulated by suface properties, particularly non-fouling character of PEG region. These arrayed spheroids is promising materials for tissue and cell-based biosensors (TBB/CBB) as well as tissue engineering technologies.

Abstract: Here, a two-dimensional microarray of ten thousand (100x100) hepatocyte hetero-spheroids, underlaid with endothelial cells, was successfully constructed with a 100 µm spacing in an active area of 20x20 mm on micro-fabricated glass substrates coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brushes (Fig. 1). Co-cultivation of hepatocytes with endothelial cells was essential to stabilize hepatocyte viability and liver-specific functions, allowing us to obtain hepatocyte spheroids with a diameter of 100 µm, functioning as a miniaturized liver to secret albumin for at least three weeks. The spheroid array constructed here is highly useful as a platform of TBB and CBB to detect a wide variety of clinically, pharmacologically, and toxicologically active compounds through a cellular physiological response.