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New Spinal Cord Repair Strategy using 3D Cell Growth

Reporter: Irina Robu, PhD

The study published in the Nature group journal Scientific Reports writes that using floating liquid marbles cells are are able to freely associate and form natural structures as they would do in the normal body. Dr. James St John, PhD from Griffith’s Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery says  “Allowing cells to grow in this 3D format dramatically increases their growth and function and is particularly useful for spinal transplantation repair in which cells are transplanted into the injury site”.Dr. St John explains that a specialized cell type is taken from the olfactory (sense of smell) system.

“A droplet of liquid that contains the cells is placed upon a carpet of teflon powder to create a liquid marble which can then be floated on cell culture medium,” he notes in the release.

“By having an air interface between the liquid marble and the cell culture medium upon which it floats, the liquid marble easily rotates. This allows the cells within the liquid marbles to freely associate to form natural structures without the confines imposed upon them by other 3D culturing methods,” he adds.

The new method enables transplanted cells to survive and better integrate into the injury site, possibly helping the spinal cord to regenerate more effectively.

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