Journal
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 3, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/srep02863
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Funding
- NSF Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS) Center
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
- Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT
- National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (N.S.E.R.C.) Canada
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Diabetes is caused by the loss or dysfunction of insulin-secreting beta-cells in the pancreas. beta-cells reduce their mass and lose insulin-producing ability in vitro, likely due to insufficient cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions as beta-cells lose their native microenvironment. Herein, we built an ex-vivo cell microenvironment by culturing primary beta-cells in direct contact with 'synthetic neighbors', cell-sized soft polymer microbeads that were modified with cell-cell signaling factors as well as components from pancreatic-tissue-specific ECMs. This biomimetic 3D microenvironment was able to promote native cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions. We obtained sustained maintenance of beta-cell function in vitro enhanced cell viability from the few days usually observed in 2D culture to periods exceeding three weeks, with enhanced beta-cell stability and insulin production. Our approach can be extended to create a general 3D culture platform for other cell types.
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