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The testing of a new 3D scaffold using the SH-SY5Y and JIMT-1 cell lines

Fält, Felicia (2017) MOBK01 20171
Degree Projects in Molecular Biology
Popular Abstract
The 3D model - an alternative to animal testing in the fight against cancer

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. In Sweden, every third person is expected to be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetime. Researchers are ferociously searching for the cure and other medicines which could help with the disease. However, their methods are flawed since they usually involve animal testing. This is why researchers have started to investigate new methods which could limit the use of, if not replace, the animal tests.

To test new drugs the first step is to mimic the natural environment cells grow in, the human body. This is most commonly done by seeding cells in a laboratory or/and using an animal. The issue with these... (More)
The 3D model - an alternative to animal testing in the fight against cancer

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. In Sweden, every third person is expected to be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetime. Researchers are ferociously searching for the cure and other medicines which could help with the disease. However, their methods are flawed since they usually involve animal testing. This is why researchers have started to investigate new methods which could limit the use of, if not replace, the animal tests.

To test new drugs the first step is to mimic the natural environment cells grow in, the human body. This is most commonly done by seeding cells in a laboratory or/and using an animal. The issue with these models is that they differ profoundly from the environment in the human body. The seeded cells differ since they are usually grown in 2D and not 3D as in the body. This causes a difference in the cells response to drugs. Animal models on the other hand are in 3D but the drug responses differ due to the genetic differences, etc.

To solve the issues with the two methods, researchers came up with 3D cell models. This is what this experiment was about; the testing of a new 3D cell model. This 3D model is in its earlier stages of testing and the main aim of this experiment is therefore simply to have cells grow in 3D.
The first step of testing these devices was to see if any of its components would affect the cell growth. The results established that the device would not toxically affect the cells. The second step was to seed the cells in the device and see if they grew, if they grew in 3D and if they behaved similarly to the cells in the human body. This step was tested with several different cell types and they all grew successfully in 3D.

Since the 3D model is yet in its earlier stages of testing there is still room for improvement. Most of the enhancements include making the model even more similar to the environment of the human body. One of these improvements is to be able to grow multiple cell types in one device. Another is the addition of a circulatory system which will provide oxygen, nutrients and waste removal more naturally.

The fact that the model is so complex makes it harder to repeat and more expensive. These are also factors which will need to be improved since it is of greatest importance to be able to make multiple tests for a new drug.

In conclusion, the experiment was a success. This method should be able to more accurately portray the cells in the human body and may therefore be used as a substitute for animal testing.

Supervisor: Stina Oredsson
Degree Project 15 hp in Molecular Biology 2017
Biology institution, Lunds university (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Fält, Felicia
supervisor
organization
course
MOBK01 20171
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
language
English
id
8925763
date added to LUP
2017-09-15 15:56:02
date last changed
2017-09-15 15:56:02
@misc{8925763,
  author       = {{Fält, Felicia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The testing of a new 3D scaffold using the SH-SY5Y and JIMT-1 cell lines}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}