TY - JOUR

T1 - Characterization of a customized 3D-printed cell culture system using clear, translucent acrylate that enables optical online monitoring

AU - Siller, Ina Gerhild

AU - Enders, Anton

AU - Gellermann, Pia

AU - Winkler, Steffen

AU - Lavrentieva, Antonina

AU - Scheper, Thomas

AU - Bahnemann, Janina

PY - 2020/7/16

Y1 - 2020/7/16

N2 - Cells are very sensitive to their direct environment-they place high demands, for example, on ambient culture medium, adjacent cell types, and the properties of surrounding material parts. As a result, mechanical and physical material properties-such as surface roughness, swelling, electrostatic effects, etc-can all have a significant impact on cell behaviour. In addition, a material's composition also impacts whether that material meets biocompatibility requirements and can thus be considered for potential use in biomedical applications. The entry of high-resolution 3D printing technology in biotechnology has opened the door to individually-designed experiment-adaptable devices of almost unlimited complexity that can be manufactured within just a few hours. 3D printing materials are frequently lacking in the characteristics that make them suitable for biomedical applications, however. This study introduces a high-resolution polyacrylic 3D printing material as a potential alternative material for use in cultivation systems with indirect or direct contact to cells. Viability analyses, studies of apoptotic/necrotic cell death response, and surface studies all suggest that this material meets the requirements for (in vitro) biocompatibility, and has surface properties sufficient to permit uninhibited cell proliferation for cells in direct contact to the material. Moreover, the translucency of this material facilitates the type of optical monitoring required for performing experiments in a microfluidic environment, or for facilitating microscopic observations.

AB - Cells are very sensitive to their direct environment-they place high demands, for example, on ambient culture medium, adjacent cell types, and the properties of surrounding material parts. As a result, mechanical and physical material properties-such as surface roughness, swelling, electrostatic effects, etc-can all have a significant impact on cell behaviour. In addition, a material's composition also impacts whether that material meets biocompatibility requirements and can thus be considered for potential use in biomedical applications. The entry of high-resolution 3D printing technology in biotechnology has opened the door to individually-designed experiment-adaptable devices of almost unlimited complexity that can be manufactured within just a few hours. 3D printing materials are frequently lacking in the characteristics that make them suitable for biomedical applications, however. This study introduces a high-resolution polyacrylic 3D printing material as a potential alternative material for use in cultivation systems with indirect or direct contact to cells. Viability analyses, studies of apoptotic/necrotic cell death response, and surface studies all suggest that this material meets the requirements for (in vitro) biocompatibility, and has surface properties sufficient to permit uninhibited cell proliferation for cells in direct contact to the material. Moreover, the translucency of this material facilitates the type of optical monitoring required for performing experiments in a microfluidic environment, or for facilitating microscopic observations.

KW - 3D printing

KW - additive manufacturing

KW - biocompatibility

KW - biomaterials

KW - mammalian cell culture

KW - rapid prototyping

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088494516&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/1748-605X/ab8e97

DO - 10.1088/1748-605X/ab8e97

M3 - Article

C2 - 32348964

AN - SCOPUS:85088494516

VL - 15

JO - Biomedical materials (Bristol, England)

JF - Biomedical materials (Bristol, England)

SN - 1748-6041

IS - 5

M1 - 055007

ER -