Using Magnets to Grow Better Lung Tissue

Jan-28-13 Levitating cells to create a 3D culture could lead to the development of more realistic lab-grown lung tissue.

To create the lung tissue, researchers from Rice University inserted magnetic nanoparticles into the lung cells and then manipulated them with magnets as the cells grew and divided. This allowed them to combine four types of cells to create a layered bronchiole tissue with the same biochemical signature as native tissue, which will enable more efficient toxicity tests.

Traditionally, in vitro lab tests have been conducted on 2D cultures grown in flat dishes, but scientists have learned that the cells in flat cultures sometimes behave differently than those in 3D tissue.

Image: 3-D cultures of four types of cells Rice University scientists combined to create bronchiole lung tissue: epithelial cells (EpiC), smooth muscle cells (SMC), pulmonary fibroblasts (HPF) and pulmonary endothelial cells (PEC).

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[POPSCI.COM]
[RICE UNIVERSITY]

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