Summary
Published in Journal of Neuroscience Methods (2018), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Boutin, Molly E., et al. A three-dimensional neural spheroid model for capillary-like network formation
A three-dimensional neural spheroid model for capillary-like network formation
Research Overview
3D neural spheroids reach in vivo-like cell density and can reduce animal use while increasing throughput. This study aimed to establish a spheroid model for studying formation of capillary-like networks in 3D — incorporating both neuronal and glial cell types, and notably without adding exogenous vasculogenic growth factors.
Self-assembled, scaffold-free spheroids were created from primary postnatal rodent cortex, and interactions among neural cell types, basement membrane proteins, and endothelial cells were characterized by immunohistochemistry — showing vascular-like structures can emerge from the cells’ own signaling.
Key Discoveries
- Capillary-like networks formed in neural spheroids without exogenous vasculogenic growth factors
- Scaffold-free spheroids incorporated neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell types
- Basement membrane protein interactions characterized by immunohistochemistry
