Cell Aggregate Formation
Cell Aggregate Formation - Related Videos
04:12
Protein Aggregate Formation Assay: A Method to Detect and Quantify Protein Aggregation in Cultured Cells upon Induction by Proteasome Inhibitor
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2025
In this video, we demonstrate a cell-based protein aggregation assay using proteasome inhibitors, which block proteasome activity, preventing misfolded, mutant proteins, fused to a fluorescent label, from undergoing ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation, leading to their accumulation within the cell cytoplasm. The protein aggregates are then visualized and quantified by fluorescence microscopy.
08:59
4D Imaging of Protein Aggregation in Live Cells
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Cited by 4 •
2013
Cellular viability depends on timely and efficient management of protein misfolding. Here we describe a method for visualizing the different potential fates of a misfolded protein: refolding, degradation, or sequestration in inclusions. We demonstrate the use of a folding sensor, Ubc9ts, for monitoring proteostasis and aggregation quality control in live cells using 4D microscopy.
09:14
Tracking Hypoxic Signaling within Encapsulated Cell Aggregates
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Cited by 10 •
2011
A method for photo-encapsulation of cells in a crosslinked PEG hydrogel is described. Hypoxic signaling within encapsulated murine insulinoma (MIN6) aggregates is tracked using a fluorescent marker system. This system allows serial examination of cells within a hydrogel scaffold and correlation of hypoxic signaling with changes in cell phenotype.
07:46
An Efficient and Flexible Cell Aggregation Method for 3D Spheroid Production
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Cited by 67 •
2017
Here, we describe a rapid and flexible protocol for the formation of 3D cell spheroids through cell aggregation. This is easily adapted to multiple cell types and is suitable for use in a variety of applications including cell migration, invasion, or anoikis assays, and for imaging and quantifying cell-matrix interactions.
10:10
Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation Under Flow using Microfluidic Flow Cells
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Cited by 29 •
2009
The platelet adhesion cascade takes place in the presence of shear flow, a factor not accounted for in conventional (static) well-plate assays. This article reports on a platelet-aggregation assay utilizing a microfluidic well-plate format to emulate physiological shear flow conditions.
FAQs
Reduced attachment to the culture surface shifts the balance toward cell-cell adhesion. Adhesion molecules help neighboring cells remain connected, while extracellular matrix interactions support coordinated compaction. Together, these processes organize initially separate cells into tighter three-dimensional structures, making cell-cell and matrix interactions central variables when researchers control aggregate formation in bioengineering studies.
Aggregate size, shape, and cellular composition strongly affect the internal microenvironment and the construct’s behavior. These features can alter nutrient transport, cell viability, differentiation, and functional properties. Consequently, aggregates with different dimensions or cell mixtures may produce different experimental outcomes even when formed under broadly similar nonadherent or low-adhesion conditions.
Adhesion molecules coordinate direct contacts between neighboring cells, whereas extracellular matrix contributes to the surrounding structural and signaling environment. Their combined interactions help determine how cells compact and organize within an aggregate. This matters because organization is linked to later differences in nutrient access, differentiation, viability, and the functional characteristics of engineered tissues.
Researchers place individual cells in nonadherent or low-adhesion environments, where attachment to the culture surface is reduced. Cells can then interact more readily with one another, promoting adhesion and compaction into spheroid-like structures. During this process, assessing aggregate size, shape, and composition helps relate formation conditions to the resulting internal microenvironment and tissue properties.
Because they provide three-dimensional cellular units without relying on a conventional scaffold, aggregates can be assembled as building blocks for engineered living constructs. Their controlled cellular composition and physical organization support efforts to study tissue organization and construct development. The resulting systems can be relevant to tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and the design of organoid models.
Cell aggregates support organoid and developmental models by providing organized three-dimensional systems in which cellular interactions can be examined. They also contribute to regenerative medicine research and drug testing, where viability, differentiation, nutrient transport, or functional properties may be important outcomes. Their value comes from connecting aggregate organization with biologically relevant tissue behaviors in a bioengineering context.