Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, can be used therapeutically. Rion, a company spun out of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, recently began phase II trials to evaluate the use of a powdered formulation of platelet-derived exosomes to treat diabetic foot ulcers.
When discussing 3D Cell Culture, researchers and scientists will talk about collagen, as it is quite popular as a matrix material. Collagen does have limitations as a scaffold though, in a similar way to many other natural scaffold materials, which is one of the reasons why Cell Guidance Systems are offering a fully synthetic alternative – PeptiGels.
3Rs aims to reduce, refine and replace the use of animals in research. Matrigel and similar basement membrane extracts are widely used in cell culture as an extracellular scaffold support and also provide key matrix proteins. The sacrifice of mice to generate Matrigel is one of the biggest single uses of animals in research. A new method to culture mammary epithelial cell (MEC) organoids shows that Matrigel use can be dramatically reduced or even (at a cost) eliminated.
Within our bodies, microbes have developed an essential, commensal role and are found in many niches. A comprehensive study, recently published in Cell, provides a fascinating insight into the role of microbes in cancer and how they can modulate prognosis and responses to treatment.
3D cell culture has emerged as a pivotal technique for mimicking the natural environment of cells. This method offers a more physiologically relevant context compared to traditional 2D cultures, better enabling the study of cell behavior, drug responses, and disease mechanisms. In this article, we will delve into the pros and cons of various hydrogels used in 3D cell culture and highlight the unique benefits of using PeptiGel.
For proteins, size does matter. The size of proteins is related to their function. Most of the really big proteins are found in muscles. Muscle cells are specialized for contraction and force generation, processes that rely on the precise organization and interaction of several large protein complexes.
Over the last 25 years, the survival statistics for cancer patients have improved. Changes in lifestyle (e.g. smoking), earlier detection and better therapies have all contributed. Here, we look at which cancers have the best, worst and most improved survival rates.
To reduce the required frequency of drug administration, technologies have been developed to offer prolonged therapeutic effects, minimizing systemic side effects. These technologies are particularly useful for chronic conditions, localized diseases, and situations where continuous protein delivery is beneficial. Technologies that have been developed for sustained, localized release include:
There has been an increasing move towards the use of 3D cell culture as a means of functional differentiation in recent years. Although 2D cell cultures have been useful in a lot of ways, research has shown that they can differ significantly from in vivo conditions making it difficult to replicate the findings in a clinical setting. This, along with the failure rate and relatively high cost of drug development, has meant there is now an urgent need to find more predictive research models across all fields.
Understanding the way a drug interacts with our body, and the risks that this poses, is a critical part of drug development. In this article, we describe the basic aspects of ADME Tox, with specific examples.
