Cho A Yeon, Lee Hyun Jong
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea.
Gels. 2023 Nov 22;9(12):922. doi: 10.3390/gels9120922.
This study investigates the intricate dynamics of matrix stiffness, substrate composition, and cell-cell interactions and elucidates their cumulative effects on fibroblast behavior in different culture contexts. Three primary substrate types were examined: non-coated, collagen-coated, and collagen hydrogel, within both two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid cultures. The research provides several key insights. First, 3D spheroid culture, which promotes robust cell-cell interactions, emerges as a critical factor in maintaining fibroblast functionality. Second, substrate stiffness significantly influences results, with the soft collagen hydrogel showing superior support for fibroblast function. Notably, fibroblasts cultured on collagen hydrogel in 2D exhibit comparable functionality to those in 3D, highlighting the importance of substrate mechanical properties. Third, surface composition, as exemplified by collagen coating, showed a limited effect compared to the other factors studied. These findings provide a basis for innovative applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and drug testing models, and offer valuable insights into harnessing the potential of fibroblasts and advancing biomedical sciences.
本研究调查了基质硬度、底物组成和细胞间相互作用的复杂动态，并阐明了它们在不同培养环境中对成纤维细胞行为的累积影响。研究了三种主要的底物类型：无涂层、胶原涂层和胶原水凝胶，分别在二维（2D）单层和三维（3D）球体培养中进行。该研究提供了几个关键见解。首先，促进强大细胞间相互作用的3D球体培养成为维持成纤维细胞功能的关键因素。其次，底物硬度显著影响结果，柔软的胶原水凝胶对成纤维细胞功能表现出更好的支持。值得注意的是，在2D胶原水凝胶上培养的成纤维细胞与3D中的成纤维细胞表现出相当的功能，突出了底物机械性能的重要性。第三，与其他研究因素相比，以胶原涂层为例的表面组成显示出有限的影响。这些发现为再生医学、组织工程和药物测试模型中的创新应用提供了基础，并为利用成纤维细胞的潜力和推进生物医学科学提供了有价值的见解。
