Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in Drug Discovery

A special issue of Future Pharmacology (ISSN 2673-9879).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 19236

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of General Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Interests: natural products; chemoprevention; cell culture systems; 3D culture; oncogenetic; cancer biomarkers
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Guest Editor
Department of General Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Interests: cell culture systems; antimutagenesis; genotoxicity; oncogenetic; cancer biomarkers; epigenetic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue provides a platform to publish original articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to find cancer models that more faithfully mimic a tumor's microenvironment and will make cancer drug discovery more successful.

Based on experience in the fields above, we invite investigators to submit an original research paper as well as review articles for publication in this Special Issue. We are particularly interested in articles employing 3D cell cultures, as well as those comparing results between 2D and 3D models. Studies concerning spheroids obtained through ex vivo propagation of tumors from individual patients (tumor organoids) are particularly welcome.

Topics include but are not limited to: Nutraceuticals and Phytochemicals as anticancer drugs; Novel synthetic molecules with anticancer properties; Bioactive compounds targeting cell survival and proliferation; Association of chemotherapy drugs and bioactive compounds.

All submissions will be peer-reviewed, following the same evaluation criteria as individual Future Pharmacology submissions.

Prof. Dr. Juliana Mara Serpeloni
Prof. Dr. Colus Ilce Mara
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Pharmacology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spheroids
  • 3D culture
  • in vitro system
  • phytochemicals
  • organoids
  • anticancer drugs
  • chemotherapeutic drugs
  • MCTS

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

16 pages, 1466 KiB  
Review
Applications and Utility of Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture for Therapeutics
by Suchitra Maheswari Ajjarapu, Apoorv Tiwari and Sundip Kumar
Future Pharmacol. 2023, 3(1), 213-228; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol3010015 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5144
Abstract
The field of 3D cell culture and its applications is rooted in the understanding of cell biology, tissue engineering, tissue morphology, disease mechanisms, and drug action. For many years, traditional 2D cell culture systems have been widely used but have proven to be [...] Read more.
The field of 3D cell culture and its applications is rooted in the understanding of cell biology, tissue engineering, tissue morphology, disease mechanisms, and drug action. For many years, traditional 2D cell culture systems have been widely used but have proven to be limited in their ability to accurately replicate the complex microenvironment of tissues. This often results in issues with cell proliferation, aggregation, and differentiation. 3D cell culture systems have emerged as a solution to this problem and have demonstrated a more accurate simulation of in vivo physiology. This has had a major impact on drug discovery and includes the use of spheroids, organoids, scaffolds, hydrogels, and organs. This review has addressed fundamental questions and exploited utility in 3D in vitro mode of cell culture in view of therapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in Drug Discovery)
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13 pages, 1232 KiB  
Review
Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Methods in Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research
by Gamze Varan and Serhat Unal
Future Pharmacol. 2023, 3(1), 48-60; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol3010004 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3875
Abstract
Cells, the basic structures of all living organisms, reside in an extracellular matrix consisting of a complex three-dimensional architecture and interact with neighboring cells both mechanically and biochemically. Cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions form a three-dimensional network that maintains tissue specificity and homeostasis. [...] Read more.
Cells, the basic structures of all living organisms, reside in an extracellular matrix consisting of a complex three-dimensional architecture and interact with neighboring cells both mechanically and biochemically. Cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions form a three-dimensional network that maintains tissue specificity and homeostasis. Important biological processes in a cell cycle are regulated by principles organized by the microenvironment surrounding the cell. The conventional cell culture methods failed to mimic in vivo-like structural organization and are insufficient to examine features such as connectivity of cells, cellular morphology, viability, proliferation, differentiation, gene and protein expression, response to stimuli, and drug/vaccine metabolism. Three-dimensional cell culture studies are very important in terms of reducing the need for in vivo studies and creating an intermediate step. Three-dimensional cell culture methods have attracted attention in the literature in recent years, especially in examining the cellular distribution of organs in the presence of infectious diseases, elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of action of viruses, and examining virus–host interactions. This review highlights the use and importance of three-dimensional cell culture methods in the design and characterization of novel vaccine formulations and the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in Drug Discovery)
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Graphical abstract

17 pages, 1116 KiB  
Review
Strategies for Generating Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived-Organoid Culture for Disease Modeling, Drug Screening, and Regenerative Therapy
by Zakiya Gania, Syarifah Tiara Noorintan, Ni Putu Diah Pradnya Septiari, Dhea Sandra Fitriany and Fuad Gandhi Torizal
Future Pharmacol. 2022, 2(3), 360-376; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol2030025 - 5 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5207
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have become a powerful tool to generate the various kinds of cell types comprising the human body. Recently, organoid technology has emerged as a platform to generate a physiologically relevant tissue-like structure from PSCs. Compared to an actual [...] Read more.
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have become a powerful tool to generate the various kinds of cell types comprising the human body. Recently, organoid technology has emerged as a platform to generate a physiologically relevant tissue-like structure from PSCs. Compared to an actual human organ, this structure more closely represents a three-dimensional microenvironment than the conventional monolayer culture system for transplantation, disease modeling, and drug development. Despite its advantages, however, the organoid culture system still has various problems related to culture methods, which have become a challenge for attempts to obtain similar physiological properties to their original tissue counterparts. Here, we discuss the current development of organoid culture methods, including the problems that may arise from the currently available culture systems, as well as a possible approach for overcoming their current limitations and improving their optimum utilization for translational application purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in Drug Discovery)
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9 pages, 939 KiB  
Review
Snake Venom and 3D Microenvironment Cell Culture: From Production to Drug Development
by Ellen Emi Kato, Vincent Louis Viala and Sandra Coccuzzo Sampaio
Future Pharmacol. 2022, 2(2), 117-125; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol2020009 - 25 Apr 2022
Viewed by 3678
Abstract
Snake venoms are a natural biological source of bioactive compounds, mainly composed of proteins and peptides with specific pathophysiological functions. The diversity of protein families found in snake venoms is reflected by the range of targets and toxicological effects observed, and consequently, a [...] Read more.
Snake venoms are a natural biological source of bioactive compounds, mainly composed of proteins and peptides with specific pathophysiological functions. The diversity of protein families found in snake venoms is reflected by the range of targets and toxicological effects observed, and consequently, a wide variety of potential pharmacological activities. In this context, in vitro biomimetic models such as spheroid and organoid systems, which are three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models, enable extensive screening and identification of substances with pharmacological potential and the determination of the mechanisms underlying their activities. In this review we summarize the main findings of 3D microenvironment cell culture as a promising model for snake venom research, from producing snake toxins on venom gland organoids to screening pharmacological active compounds on spheroids for drug development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in Drug Discovery)
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