MIPT and IFM UrO RAS: Molds for growing cell spheroids

The main articles are:

• Joints
• 3D printing in medicine

2024: Announcement of a solution for rapid repair of the cracked tissues in the knees after surgery

Molds for growing cellular spheroids have been developed at MIPT. The technological solution proposed by the development team from MIPT and IFM UrO RAS makes it possible to form three-dimensional cellular structures in culture vessels. We are talking not only about standard containers, but also about rare modifications of forms - multi-well plates and cups for a confocal microscope. This was announced on November 27, 2024 by representatives of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

As reported, knee replacement surgery joint is quite technically complex and requires accuracy in determining the shape of the prosthesis. Even with minor deviations from the correct installation angles, it leads to complications: inflammatory processes, difficulties with the "engraftment" of the prosthesis. That is why the priority areas in the development of orthopedics are technologies for the restoration of damaged cartilage tissue using spheroids - three-dimensional cell structures that mimic the environmental conditions of a living cell. Spheroids are embedded in a damaged area of cartilage, where they begin to release biologically active substances that promote tissue regeneration. These substances can stimulate the growth of new cartilage cells and optimize their differentiation into cartilage cells.

Cells inside the human body live in a three-dimensional environment, and, in the case when they lose it, they most often die. And when we talk about stem cells or chondrocytes, and with their help we want to cure some kind of disease or injury of a person, it is very important for us that they are alive. Individual cells that are simply injected into humans are likely to die, so it is very important to use cells that have contacts with each other: for this, you just need to use spheroids. clarified Ilya Zubarev, senior researcher, head of the MIPT cell signaling regulation laboratory

With traditional treatment tactics - carrying out a knee prosthetics operation - the patient remains under observation in the hospital for 3-5 days. At this time, he undergoes training in a special course of exercise (physiotherapy to strengthen the knee). The patient can often move independently without special means after 6 weeks, and complete rehabilitation after knee replacement joint can take up to 2 years. For comparison: it is possible to "grow" new cartilage in spheroids in 2 weeks in the laboratory, and in a month inside the patient.

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MIPT

To create stamps and molds for spheroids, the development team from MIPT and RAS used additive technologies - 3D modeling and 3D printer. Two-component cast silicone acted as a base for Moldovans. The innovation of the technological solution consists in the creation of dies for multi-well plates, which made it possible to effectively conduct tests for each individual patient, and the creation of molds for vials with a large number of cells to scale the process.

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MIPT

As noted by one of the authors of the project, a student of the Department of Molecular Biology of the Physics and Technology School of Biological and Medical Physics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Maria Tomilina, devices for creating spheroids, which for November 2024 are on the market have strictly defined sizes and are suitable for a very limited number of cultural containers.

The spheroid molds on the market for 2024 are presented by MicroTissues Inc, which manufactures 3D petri dishes designed for the manufacture of spheroids. Agarose is poured into silicone molds and 3D containers are produced. Using these 3D petri dishes, spheroids of the same size and shape can be obtained. True, the designs are limited by the number of holes and are not intended for large production of spheroids. continued by Maria Tomilina

The project to create molds and stamps for three-dimensional cellular structures became a participant in the Student Startup competition based on MIPT and received funding in the amount of 1,000,000 rubles from the Federal Fund for Assistance to Innovation. The results will be the basis for platforms for screening the activity of biologically active drugs and viral vectors for multi-well plates, intravital microscopy of spheroids in a confocal microscope and scaling of spheroid production.

Over the next 6 months, the developers will test the devices being created at the N. N. Priorov National Medical Research Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics, as well as at the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology in Moscow.