Summary
Published in Toxicology in Vitro (2019), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Dent, Matthew P., et al. A human-derived prostate co-culture microtissue model using epithelial (RWPE-1) and stromal (WPMY-1) cell lines
A human-derived prostate co-culture microtissue model using epithelial (RWPE-1) and stromal (WPMY-1) cell lines
Research Overview
Normal prostate development and function depend on signaling between stromal and epithelial compartments, so a microtissue containing both could identify substance exposures that harm humans — as part of a non-animal risk assessment.
This study built prostate microtissues from human-derived stromal (WPMY-1) and epithelial (RWPE-1) cell lines in scaffold-free hydrogels, characterized by immunohistochemistry, light microscopy, and qRT-PCR. Within five days of seeding, the microtissues self-organized into spheroids with a core of stromal cells surrounded by epithelium — reproducing the compartmental architecture the tissue depends on.
Key Discoveries
- Human prostate microtissues self-organized within 5 days into a stromal core surrounded by epithelium
- Scaffold-free hydrogels supported the epithelial-stromal crosstalk prostate biology requires
- Designed to support non-animal chemical risk assessment
