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Ethics code: IR.MODARES.REC.1399.229

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1- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2- Applied Cell Sciences Division, Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran , s_vahdat@modares.ac.ir
Abstract:   (257 Views)
Background and Objectives: It has been demonstrated that three-dimensional (3D) interactions of myeloma cells with other cells and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment play critical roles in the disease progression. Therefore, in vitro fabrication of interactions would advance the fields of disease modeling and drug screening. In this regard, we tried to develop simple, cost-beneficial, and available 3D culture conditions for U266 cells using co-culture systems in order to be closer to their native microenvironment.
Materials and Methods: U266 cells, BM mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were co-cultured in different matrix-based and matrix-free conditions, and thereafter, the survival and proliferation rates of U266 cells were evaluated and compared. Peripheral blood (PB) plasma was used to generate fibrin gels for matrix-based structures.
Results: Co-cultured cells in the gel-free group could generate and assemble into 3D cell structures. Moreover, the viability and expansion fold of U266 cells in the gel-free group were significantly higher compared to the on-gel and inside-gel groups.
Conclusion: Our simple gel-free 3D co-culture of U266 cells with BM-MSCs and HUVECs, which showed higher viability and proliferation rates of myeloma cells, can be used for further in vitro studies, including drug screening.
 
     
Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Medical Biology
Received: 2025/08/13 | Accepted: 2026/04/12

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