A cost-effective and simple culture method for primary hepatocytes

Additive Manufacturing of Biomaterials-Design Principles and Their Implementation

Additive manufacturing (AM, also known as 3D printing) is an advanced manufacturing technique that has enabled progress in the design and fabrication of customised or patient-specific (meta-)biomaterials and biomedical devices (e.g., implants, prosthetics, and orthotics) with complex internal microstructures and tuneable properties. In the past few decades, several design guidelines have been proposed for creating porous lattice structures, particularly for biomedical applications. Meanwhile, the capabilities of AM to fabricate a wide range of biomaterials, including metals and their alloys, polymers, and ceramics, have been exploited, offering unprecedented benefits to medical professionals and patients alike. In this review article, we provide an overview of the design principles that have been developed and used for the AM of biomaterials as well as those dealing with three major categories of biomaterials, i.e., metals (and their alloys), polymers, and ceramics. The design strategies can be categorised as: library-based design, topology optimisation, bio-inspired design, and meta-biomaterials. Recent developments related to the biomedical applications and fabrication methods of AM aimed at enhancing the quality of final 3D-printed biomaterials and improving their physical, mechanical, and biological characteristics are also highlighted. Finally, examples of 3D-printed biomaterials with tuned properties and functionalities are presented.

3D Hepatic Organoid-Based Advancements in LIVER Tissue Engineering

Liver-associated diseases and tissue engineering approaches based on in vitro culture of functional Primary human hepatocytes (PHH) had been restricted by the rapid de-differentiation in 2D culture conditions which restricted their usability. It was proven that cells growing in 3D format can better mimic the in vivo microenvironment, and thus help in maintaining metabolic activity, phenotypic properties, and longevity of the in vitro cultures. Again, the culture method and type of cell population are also recognized as important parameters for functional maintenance of primary hepatocytes. Hepatic organoids formed by self-assembly of hepatic cells are microtissues, and were able to show long-term in vitro maintenance of hepato-specific characteristics. Thus, hepatic organoids were recognized as an effective tool for screening potential cures and modeling liver diseases effectively. The current review summarizes the importance of 3D hepatic organoid culture over other conventional 2D and 3D culture models and its applicability in Liver tissue engineering.

How to Study the Uptake and Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Cultured Brain Cells: The Dos and Don't Forgets

Due to their exciting properties, engineered nanoparticles have obtained substantial attention over the last two decades. As many types of nanoparticles are already used for technical and biomedical applications, the chances that cells in the brain will encounter nanoparticles have strongly increased. To test for potential consequences of an exposure of brain cells to engineered nanoparticles, cell culture models for different types of neural cells are frequently used. In this review article we will discuss experimental strategies and important controls that should be used to investigate the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles for the cell incubation conditions applied as well as for studies on the biocompatibility and the cellular uptake of nanoparticles in neural cells. The main focus of this article will be the interaction of cultured neural cells with iron oxide nanoparticles, but similar considerations are important for studying the consequences of an exposure of other types of cultured cells with other types of nanoparticles. Our article aims to improve the understanding of the special technical challenges of working with nanoparticles on cultured neural cells, to identify potential artifacts and to prevent misinterpretation of data on the potential adverse or beneficial consequences of a treatment of cultured cells with nanoparticles.