Scaffolds for 3D Cell Culture and Cellular Agriculture Applications Derived From Non-animal Sources

Santiago Campuzano,Andrew E Pelling

doi:10.3389/fsufs.2019.00038

Abstract

For decades, two-dimensional cell culture has been regarded as a major tool in cellular and molecular biology due to its simplicity, reproducibility and reliable nature. However, it is now recognized that 2D cell culture underrepresents the in vivo environment of living cells. The development and use of 3D scaffolds and biomaterials provide researchers an ability to more closely mimic the in vivo environment. However, many biomaterials are of animal origin, leading to variability, environmental and ethical concerns. Here we present three animal-free scaffolds: decellularized plant tissue, chitin/chitosan and recombinant collagen. Decellularized plant tissue provides a wide array of structures with varying biochemical, topographical and mechanical properties; chitin/chitosan-based scaffolds have shown synergistic bactericidal effects and improved cell-matrix interaction; and lastly, recombinant collagen has the potential to closely resemble native tissue, as opposed to the other two. These benefits, alongside potential scalability and tunability, open the door to applications beyond the biomedical realm, such as innovations in cellular agriculture and future food technologies.

Highlights

Since the early 20th century, two-dimensional cell culture has been regarded as a reliable, simple and reproducible study of cellular behavior (Jedrzejczak-Silicka, 2017)
In order to overcome the gap between 2D cell culture and the 3D environment sensed by the cell in vivo, a plethora of natural and synthetic polymers, recombinant proteins, ceramics, and metal-composite scaffolds have been developed and reviewed previously (Carletti et al, 2011; O’Brien, 2011; Turnbull et al, 2018)
Synthetic or natural animal-free polymers such as cellulose (Huber et al, 2012; Hickey et al, 2018), chitin/chitosan (Jayakumar et al, 2011), alginate (Lee and Mooney, 2012), recombinant silk (Widhe et al, 2010), PLA (Serra et al, 2013), and PCL (Li et al, 2017) provide low cost, consistent and tunable scaffolds. In this concise review we have chosen to focus on chitin/chitosan, cellulose, and recombinant collagen and their use in tissue engineering and potential applications in cellular agriculture

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Since the early 20th century, two-dimensional cell culture has been regarded as a reliable, simple and reproducible study of cellular behavior (Jedrzejczak-Silicka, 2017). Synthetic or natural animal-free polymers such as cellulose (Huber et al, 2012; Hickey et al, 2018), chitin/chitosan (Jayakumar et al, 2011), alginate (Lee and Mooney, 2012), recombinant silk (Widhe et al, 2010), PLA (Serra et al, 2013), and PCL (Li et al, 2017) provide low cost, consistent and tunable scaffolds. In this concise review we have chosen to focus on chitin/chitosan, cellulose (bacterial and plant), and recombinant collagen and their use in tissue engineering and potential applications in cellular agriculture. Meat/tissue has proven to be difficult to replicate in vitro due to its complex composition (muscle, nerve, water, minerals, growth factors, hormones, and Extracellular matrix proteins) (Listrat et al, 2016), the native structure of foods such as mushroom (Jo-Feeney et al, 2014) and jackfruit (John et al, 1992) have the potential to contribute the DECELLULARIZED PLANT TISSUE AND

BACTERIAL CELLULOSE

CHITIN AND CHITOSAN

RECOMBINANT COLLAGEN

CONCLUSION