Scientists cultivate tiny brains in 3D printed bioreactors

2024-03-07

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have implanted a small amount of self-organizing brain tissue, known as organisms, in a tiny 3D printing system that can be observed while they grow and develop. This work was reported by AIP Publishing Company in Biomicrofluidics.

The current technology for real-time observation of growing organs involves the use of commercial culture dishes with many holes on a glass substrate placed under a microscope. These boards are expensive and only compatible with specific microscopes. They do not allow the growth tissue to flow or supplement nutrient media.

Recent advances have utilized a technology called microfluidics, in which nutrient media are transported through small tubes connected to micro platforms or chips. However, these microfluidic devices are expensive and difficult to manufacture. The current progress is to use 3D printing technology to create a reusable and easily adjustable platform, with a manufacturing cost of only about $5. This design includes imaging wells and microfluidic channels for growing organisms to provide nutrient media and preheating to support tissue growth.

A biocompatible resin used in dental surgery is used in 3D printing devices. Expose the printed chips to ultraviolet radiation for curing, and then sterilize them before placing live cells into the well. After sealing the top of the well with a glass slide, add the nutrient medium and medication used in the study through a small inlet. This design has a significantly lower cost than traditional culture dishes or organic culture products based on rotating bioreactors. In addition, the chip can be cleaned with distilled water, dried, and sterilized under high pressure, making it reusable. “

The researchers tested their device using organisms derived from human cells. They observed the growing brain organs under a microscope and were able to successfully track their growth and development for 7 days. A small amount of brain tissue has developed a cavity or ventricle, surrounded by a self-organizing structure similar to a developing neocortex. During this week, the proportion of cell death in the core of the organ in the 3D printing device was lower than under conventional culture conditions. Researchers believe that their cell design protects the growing tiny brain.

One advantage of this microfluidic device is that it allows for continuous perfusion of the culture chamber, which is closer to physiological tissue perfusion than conventional culture, thereby reducing the death of organoid core cells. Researchers hope to increase the capacity of their devices by increasing the number of available wells, while other improvements will allow for the integration of more instruments into the design.

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