In vitro co-culture model of medulloblastoma and human neural stem cells for drug delivery assessment.

Physiologically relevant in vitro models can serve as biological analytical platforms for testing novel treatments and drug delivery systems. We describe the first steps in the development of a 3D human brain tumour co-culture model that includes the interplay between normal and tumour tissue along with nutrient gradients, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The human medulloblastoma cell line UW228-3 and human foetal brain tissue were marked with two supravital fluorescent dyes (CDCFDASE, Celltrace Violet) and cultured together in ultra-low attachment 96-well plates to form reproducible single co-culture spheroids (d = 600 μm, CV% = 10%).

Evaluation of bupropion hydrochloride developmental cardiotoxic effects in chick cardiomyocyte micromass culture and stem cell derived cardiomyocyte systems.

The use of antidepressant drug bupropion hydrochloride (BPN) during pregnancy results in increased cardiovascular anomalies. In this study, BPN developmental cardiotoxic effects in in vitro system were evaluated using chick cardiomyocyte micromass (MM) culture system and mouse embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocyte (ESDC) system. In MM system, the cardiomyocyte contractile activity significantly decreased only at BPN 200 μM, while in ESDC system BPN concentration above 75 μM resulted in decreased contractile activity.

Permeability of PEGylated immunoarsonoliposomes through in vitro blood brain barrier-medulloblastoma co-culture models for brain tumor therapy.

Purpose: Owing to restricted access of pharmacological agents into the brain due to blood brain barrier (BBB) there is a need: 1. to develop a more representative 3-D-co-culture model of tumor-BBB interaction to investigate drug and nanoparticle transport into the brain for diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation. 2.

Multiplexing spheroid volume, resazurin and acid phosphatase viability assays for high-throughput screening of tumour spheroids and stem cell neurospheres.

Three-dimensional cell culture has many advantages over monolayer cultures, and spheroids have been hailed as the best current representation of small avascular tumours in vitro. However their adoption in regular screening programs has been hindered by uneven culture growth, poor reproducibility and lack of high-throughput analysis methods for 3D. The objective of this study was to develop a method for a quick and reliable anticancer drug screen in 3D for tumour and human foetal brain tissue in order to investigate drug effectiveness and selective cytotoxic effects.

The preparation of magnetically guided lipid based nanoemulsions using self-emulsifying technology.

This paper reports an easy and highly reproducible preparation route, using self-emulsifying technology, for an orally administered high quality magnetically responsive drug delivery system. Hydrophobic iron oxide nanoparticles of about 5 nm in diameter were prepared and incorporated into the lipid core of the produced oil droplets of a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (MagC(18)/SNEDDS). The produced nanoemulsion exhibits colloidal stability at high ionic strengths and temperatures.

Biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of surface-modified NiTi alloys.

Nickel titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys have been investigated for several years with regard to biomedical applications. However, little is known about the influences of surface modifications on the biocompatibility of these alloys. The effects of a range of surface treatments were investigated.