Spheroid Coculture
Spheroid Coculture - Related Videos
07:48
Coculture System with an Organotypic Brain Slice and 3D Spheroid of Carcinoma Cells
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Cited by 32 •
2013
The organotypic brain slice coculture with carcinoma cells enables visualizing morphological changes by fluorescence as well as bright field (video) microscopy during the process of carcinoma cell invasion of brain tissue. This model system also allows for cell exchange and replenishment approaches and offers a wide variety of manipulations and analyses.
09:23
Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion
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Cited by 19 •
2016
Understanding the malignant behavior of cancer requires creating accurate models of how tumor cells interact with components of the tumor microenvironment, such as macrophages. Here we describe two methods to study glioblastoma cell interaction with tumor associated macrophages and microglia where the effect on glioblastoma invasion is assessed.
03:20
Splitting Spheroids for Sub-culturing and Shipping: A Procedure for Propagating and Transferring Spheroids from Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumor
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2023
This video demonstrates a strategy to split and propagate spheroids developed from small bowel neuroendocrine tumor cells. These spheroids have small bowel neuroendocrine tumor markers and can be propagated and further used to test anti-cancer drugs.
04:29
Immunofluorescent Staining of Spheroids: A Technique to Analyze Spheroids for Expression of Intra- and Extracellular Antigen Expression
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2023
This video describes the technique of immunofluorescent staining of spheroids to understand the differentiation of the fibroblasts or CAFs. This protocol helps detect expression of intra- and extracellular antigens, including deposition of ECM proteins within the spheroids.
02:59
Embedding 3D Spheroids in Agarose Gel Drops: A Technique to Preserve Spheroids for Downstream Analysis
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2023
This video describes the technique to embed 3D spheroids in agarose gel drops for preservation. The embedded 3D spheroids can be further used for downstream analysis.
FAQs
Cell-cell adhesion and interactions with the extracellular matrix drive the initial organization of cells within a spheroid coculture. As cells establish contacts, those interactions can influence how populations remain arranged and how developmental signals are exchanged. This spatial organization matters because neighboring cells may experience different local environments, allowing researchers to examine how physical context affects cellular behavior.
Gradients create distinct microenvironments within the aggregate, so cells at different positions may receive different levels of oxygen, nutrients, and signaling molecules. These conditions can influence proliferation, differentiation, and spatial organization. Studying such variation helps researchers connect local environmental conditions with developmental outcomes rather than evaluating every cell as though it experiences an identical culture environment.
Spheroid coculture provides tissue-like three-dimensional organization and spatial relationships that many two-dimensional cultures represent less realistically. The resulting arrangement also produces internal gradients and places different cell populations in closer, structured proximity. Consequently, researchers can investigate developmental behaviors that depend on cell position, neighboring-cell communication, or local environmental conditions.
When multiple cell populations occupy the same three-dimensional aggregate, their proximity creates a controlled setting for examining communication between them. Researchers can then assess how these interactions relate to tissue patterning, morphogenesis, and spatial organization. The model is especially useful for asking whether developmental changes reflect signals exchanged between neighboring populations rather than isolated cell behavior.
A general workflow begins by selecting the cell populations relevant to the developmental question, combining them under controlled in vitro conditions, and allowing cell-cell adhesion and extracellular matrix interactions to support self-assembly. Researchers then examine the resulting organization and cellular responses, including proliferation, differentiation, or signaling-related changes, in relation to the aggregate’s three-dimensional environment.
Researchers use this approach when they need to study communication between neighboring cell populations, tissue patterning, morphogenesis, or lineage development in a controlled model. It can reveal how the cellular environment regulates developmental behavior. The system therefore complements simpler culture formats by linking cell interactions and spatial organization with changes in developmental outcomes.
Beyond developmental studies, spheroid coculture can provide platforms for investigating disease, testing compounds, and refining tissue-engineering strategies. Its value comes from combining multiple cell populations with three-dimensional organization and internal environmental gradients. These features help researchers evaluate how treatments or engineered conditions affect cellular behavior in a model that more closely reflects tissue-like interactions.