AMS Bio reports on the pioneering research published by scientists at Stanford University Medical School that has cited Mimetix aligned 3D cell culture scaffold supplied by the company to understand the architecture of the myelin sheaths which insulate neuronal axons, so they can transmit electrical impulses quickly and efficiently.
Oligodendrocyte cells in the central nervous system can contact up to 50 axon segments per cell to form such myelin sheaths. Meng-Meng Fu of Stanford University and co-authors cultured oligodendrocytes in 3D in vitro on Mimetix aligned 3D cell culture scaffolds, showing that they contain satellite organelles called “Golgi Outposts”. These organise the complex architecture of microtubules to support the branching structure of myelin sheaths.
Postdoctoral research fellow, Meng-Meng Fu, commented "The Mimetix 3D microfibres have allowed us to understand the 3D shape of oligodendrocytes. This invaluable tool has yielded information that we would not have been able to acquire using traditional 2D cell culture platforms. Using 3D microfibres to culture mature oligodendrocytes for up to two weeks, we were able to measure myelin sheath length and number of sheaths per cell. In addition, we showed in our paper that this data was consistent with in vivo measurements taken from individual oligodendrocytes in the cortex."
Mimetix scaffolds mimic an extracellular matrix by providing an ideal architectural environment to support the growth of cells in 3D. They are created by electrospinning medical-grade polymer poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) into microfibres, which are highly consistent with regard to fibre diameter and pore size, resulting in excellent reproducibility of cell-based assays. Mimetix aligned microfiber scaffolds provide a physical structure for the 3D culture of cells from tissues such as the central nervous system, skeletal muscle and heart where orientation influences cell growth and behavior. The Mimetix scaffold is incorporated into standard SBS footprint well plate frames (12- and 96-well) with bases of superior optical clarity and minimal base distortion. The aligned scaffolds are thin enough to allow microscopic imaging.
