Magnetic Levitation-Assisted Biofabrication and 3D Culture of Adipocytes, Endothelial Cells, and Macrophages

Abstract

Obesity represents a global health problem, closely linked to a range of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and various types of cancer. This condition leads to significant adipose tissue remodeling due to excessive caloric intake, resulting in dysregulation of adipose tissue-derived factors and increased inflammatory molecules, which contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation. Adipose tissue engineering studies gained attention in the last decades to investigate adipose tissue physiology and pathophysiology, as well as to produce tissue constructs for clinical needs to repair defects caused by high-graded burns or tumor removal. In this study, we aim to propose a magnetic levitation-based biofabrication technique that enables the development of physiologically relevant 3D adipose tissue models, incorporating adipocytes along with endothelial cells and/or macrophages, in a scaffold-, label- and contact-free manner. This technique was further enhanced by the application of the liquid overlay technique, which helps achieve more compact and uniform structures. Thus, we first demonstrated the culture of three cell types in a 3D, scaffold-free environment, as well as the potential of different adipose tissue models that can be used for further research on obesity and other adipose tissue-related diseases.