Summary
Published in Theranostics (2021), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Yeo, Miji, et al. An in vitro model using spheroids-laden nanofibrous structures for attaining high degree of myoblast alignment and differentiation
An in vitro model using spheroids-laden nanofibrous structures for attaining high degree of myoblast alignment and differentiation
Research Overview
Scaffold-free spheroids capture tissue complexity in a 3D, in vivo-like environment, but on their own they cannot be built into realistic macroscale structures without necrosis, nor can they receive direct external mechanical or topographical cues. This study proposes a spheroid-laden electrospinning process that combines the bioactive components supplied by spheroids with the stimulating effect of aligned nanofibers.
Myoblast spheroids were embedded directly in uniaxially aligned alginate nanofibers, with materials and processing parameters tuned to control alignment. The embedded spheroids kept high viability (>90%), and compared with nanofibers electrospun with single cells, the spheroid-laden aligned fibers produced a significantly higher degree of myotube formation and maturation — an in vitro skeletal muscle model suited to studying myogenic responses in drug tests.
Key Discoveries
- Spheroid-laden electrospinning embeds myoblast spheroids directly in aligned alginate nanofibers
- Embedded spheroids retained >90% viability
- Aligned spheroid-laden fibers gave significantly more myotube formation and maturation than single-cell-laden fibers
