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Fabrication of Cell Spheroids for 3D Cell Culture and Biomedical Applications

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Abstract

The significance of 3D cell culture—i.e., the maintenance of cell characteristics by mimicking the natural environment—has been increasing, and various 3D cell culture methods have been proposed. 3D cell culture is a widely used cell spheroid culture method, which is a representative method of matrix-free 3D cell culture. In contrast with that in conventional 2D cell culture, cells aggregate in a spherical shape with abundant cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions that more closely resemble the in vivo environment in a 3D culture. In a cell spheroid culture, the viability and functionality of spheroids change based on the cell type and morphology, and their controllable characteristics differ depending on the fabrication method used. Moreover, the mass production and size controllability of spheroids are dependent on the fabrication method used; therefore, the spheroid utilization method is also different. In this review, representative cell spheroid fabrication methods are examined, and the possibility of standardization is discussed so that these methods can be widely used. In addition, the biomedical applications of spheroids and their potential for future development are explored.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) (grant numbers NRF-2020R1C1C1013227, 2021R1A6A1A03038996), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), and the Gachon University Research Fund of 2020 (GCU-202208970001).

Funding

Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, NRF-2020R1C1C1013227, Hyun Jong Lee, NRF-2021R1A6A1A03038996, Hyun Jong Lee, Gachon University, GCU-202208970001, Hyun Jong Lee.

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  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Seongnam-si, 13120, Republic of Korea

    Se Yeon Park & Hyun Jong Lee

  2. Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55902, USA

    Hye ** Hong

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Park, S.Y., Hong, H.J. & Lee, H.J. Fabrication of Cell Spheroids for 3D Cell Culture and Biomedical Applications. BioChip J 17, 24–43 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13206-022-00086-9

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