Microbioreactor design for 3-D cell cultivation to create a pharmacological screening system

A biocompatible cell culture environment that enables continued existence of three dimensionally aggregated cells in a polycarbonate-based scaffold structure was developed. A micro structured polymeric scaffold allows perfusion of cells due to a microporous structure generated by ion track etching and micro thermoforming. Biocompatibility and sterilizability was approved for the whole system. As oxygenation and mass transport within a closed system is most relevant for 3-D cell culture, two approaches of pumping systems were tested. The human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 was used to examine basic cytological parameters in response to the enviroment. Our data indicate that an actively perfused 3-D cell culture induces a more differentiated phenotype in HepG2 cells than the 2-D setup. Thus, our results provide further support to the theory that 3-D-cultivated cells display a non-proliferative behavior. In this respect, 3-D cultures resemble in vivo conditions more closely. Microreactors are widely applied for organic syntheses, but can also be used for screening applications in drug discovery and medical research. The bioreactor versions presented here were equipped with active fluidic components.