How to Culture Stem Cells in 3D

Katherine Scott

Stem cells are the body’s mechanics, repairing damaged tissues and organs. Because these cells are able to grow into any type of cell in the body, scientists believe they hold the key to groundbreaking new therapies. To help further this research, scientists from the University of Victoria demonstrate a new way to culture stem cells in 3D.

Example of a mouse induced pluripotent stem cell after three days of culture inside of a 3D fibrin scaffold. Cells have begun to migrate and differentiate inside of the fibrin scaffold.

“Cells in your body grow and divide in a 3D environment, especially when you think of stem cells, which differentiate to become all the different types of cells in your body,” said one of the authors, Dr. Stephanie Willerth. “Yet, a lot of work is still being done in a 2D environment.”

Essentially, since your body is three-dimensional, it makes sense that stem cells do their best repair work in 3D as well. By growing these cells in 3D, researchers are better able to see how these cells behave in conditions that more closely resemble those in the body.

Though Dr. Willerth’s lab specifically looks at neurons to investigate neural regeneration in the spinal cord, she chose to publish her research in JoVE because she believes her culture method is very versatile, and can be applied to other research in regenerative medicine.

“When you’re working with gels, it’s nice to have a visual representation,” she said.

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