Three-Dimensional Cell Culture to Model Epithelia in the Female Reproductive System

Abstract

In vitro 3-dimensional (3D) cell cultures produce valuable models that mimic 3D tissue organization and function and enhance the understanding of cell/tissue function under normal and pathological situations. Tissue function depends on the interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix; thus, effective 3D cell cultures rely on the use of appropriate extracellular matrix cues. Noticeable progress in 3D cell culture was obtained from studies with epithelial cells from organs of the female reproductive system including the mammary glands, the uterus, and the ovaries. These models show that replicating normal tissue organization in the resting phase is a prerequisite for appropriate physiological and pathological investigations. The authors' goals are to explain the importance of mimicking detailed aspects of normal epithelial organization and function, such as basoapical polarity, in 3D cell culture and to discuss how effective 3D cell culture models can lead to meaningful applications in reproductive biology.

A Novel Three-Dimensional Culture System of Polarized Epithelial Cells to Study Endometrial Carcinogenesis

“…Here, we have developed a novel 3D culture model of primary mouse endometrial epithelial cells. Although cultures of polarized cells from endometrial and other gynecological tissues have been developed previously, 32 we think that our culture system may have some important innovations that provide several improvements over other existing models. Most 3D cultures are constructed using nontransformed but immortalized cell lines such as MDCK or MCF-10.…”

Neuronal gene delivery by negatively charged pullulan–spermine/DNA anioplexes

“…Pullulan-spermine/DNA anioplexes may be useful for gene transfer to other difficult-to-transfect cell types including stem cells; indeed, we are currently performing experiments in adult bone marrow-and adipose-derived stromal cells with promising results. The floating explant transfection strategy described in the present study could potentially be applied to any type of organ culture preparation; such organotypic 3-dimensional microenvironments are rapidly gaining popularity for mechanistic studies and drug screening [40][41][42][43][44] as the deficiencies of monolayer cultures become increasingly apparent, yet reports of genetic manipulation of whole-mount preparations remain scarce. Finally, serum compatibility and lack of toxicity as demonstrated by pullulan-spermine/DNA anioplexes may present advantages for in vivo applications.…”

Development and validation of a three-dimensional in vitro model for uterine leiomyoma and patient-matched myometrium

“…However, sheets of cells growing on a planar, rigid surface do not mimic the living environment of tissue. Three-dimensional (3D) cultures, wherein the cells are grown in a matrix made of ECM proteins that resemble the in vivo tissue scaffolding, recapture the in vivo microenvironment and allow the cells to attach, attain the right configuration, and migrate or differentiate (4)(5)(6). The 3D matrix also provides the cells with an environment containing the growth factors and cytokines that otherwise are lost in the culture media as well as some of the ECM proteins that are secreted by the cells during their growth (7).…”