Reproduzierbare Cellsysteme für die Wirkstoffforschung

In the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, high-throughput screening methods for biological test systems will become more established as a key technology in the following areas of application: drug discovery, toxicological testing and safety testing as a substitute for animal testing. The significance of these screenings is directly dependent on the functionality of the biological systems used. Up to now, such investigations have mainly been carried out using 2D cell assays in which the cells are cultivated as a monolayer on a substrate. Although such simple systems can provide information about cell vitality or morphology, for example, they are not able to reproduce the complex functional relationships in biological tissues. A complex hierarchical microarchitecture is essential for correct biological function and is created through the interaction of different cell types, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and gradients of growth factors. To be able to map this complexity in biological screening methods, there is growing demand for more functional biological test systems. These include cell arrays in which individual cells are specifically positioned, different cell types are combined and structured with the help of ECM components, lab-on-chip systems, cellular 3D structures and highly complex tissue replacement materials.