Applied 3D cell cultures

3D cell cultures better simulate the conditions within a living organism and are playing a vital role in reducing our use of animal models; this initiative has gained significant traction since the US FDA Modernization Act was passed, removing the requirement for drug candidates to be tested on animals. This drive for modernization is aimed at addressing the poor success rate of drugs entering clinical trials.

As these modeling methods improve, the utilization of 3D cultures is becoming more commonplace and their applications more widespread. In this In Focus, we will review these applications, highlighting the most successful recent instances of their use, mapping their development and uptake in the scientific community and revealing the key techniques that are available to help integrate these models into your research.