Micropatterning cells on permeable membrane filters

Abstract

Epithelium is abundantly present in the human body as it lines most major organs. Therefore, ensuring the proper function of epithelium is pivotal for successfully engineering whole organ replacements. An important characteristic of mature epithelium is apical-basal polarization which can be obtained using the air-liquid interface (ALI) culture system. Micropatterning is a widely used bioengineering strategy to spatially control the location and organization of cells on tissue culture substrates. Micropatterning is therefore an interesting method for generating patterned epithelium. Enabling micropatterning of epithelial cells however requires micropatterning methods that are designed to (i) be compatible with permeable membranes substrates and (ii) allow prolonged culture of patterned cells, both of which are required for appropriate epithelial apical-basal polarization. Here, we describe a number of methods we have developed for generating monoculture as well as coculture of epithelial cells that are compatible with ALI culture.

Keywords: Air–liquid interface culture; Apical–basal polarization; Epithelial cells; Filter insert membrane; Micropatterning; Soft lithography.