Animal cell culture refers to growing cells outside the body in a controlled environment. Although the practice began in the 1900s to observe the cellular events, it has progressed tremendously. Now it has grown in its techniques and applications. In comparison to in vivo studies, in vitro models have facilitated research in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner. It has drastically expedited research and drug development. This article details the applications of animal cell culture in biomedical research.
Before the advent of cell culture, research was primarily conducted on animals or tissue extracted from them. However, cells provided not only better tools for research but also generated insights into cellular events. In animal studies, the therapeutic or toxic effects of drugs or other substances were visible on tissues. However, cell culture research has revealed the biochemical pathways involved in drug metabolism, disease pathogenesis, and normal physiological functions. It has led to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets while also strengthening our understanding of genetic makeup.
Screening of drugs for safety and efficacy has improved with in vitro culture. Numerous drugs are developed for treatment. Cells have proved to be effective tools for conducting simultaneous evaluations of multiple drugs and their doses. Furthermore, drugs can be analyzed on different cells to assess the tissue-specific toxicity of drugs. This practice narrows down the long list of drug candidates. A few selected drugs proceed to the next stage of animal studies and clinical trials that save tremendous amounts of time, money, and labor. Conventionally, these studies were conducted on animals that had ethical implications. However, cells are devoid of such limitations and yield data regarding changes at the cellular level.
Many biopharmaceuticals, such as vaccines, hormones, biosimilars, enzymes, etc., require expensive manufacturing processes, even involving animals. However, in vitro culture has made the process easier and cost-effective. Transfection of cells with the product's genes results in higher yields of the product's synthesis. Their scale-up for industrial applications has resulted in the large-scale production of pharmaceuticals in a shorter time period. It has substantially increased the availability of these products and reduced their prices. For example, insulin was traditionally extracted from animal pancreas. The final product contained impurities even after multiple refinements, limiting the safety of the product. Nowadays, insulin production from cells generates a relatively pure product with increased efficacy and safety.
Genetic engineering has been progressing rapidly owing to the application of animal cell culture. It has been a suitable platform for studying the effects of genetic changes, evaluating novel gene editing techniques, and analysing non-specific modifications. The altered results from gene editing are visible in plants and animals after weeks, whereas cells can exhibit these changes notably faster. It has accelerated the evolution of genetic engineering techniques and their applications, such as the formation of recombinant DNA products, understanding the gene function and downstream signalling, and the creation of genetically modified organisms.
Stem cells have widened the scope of in vitro research. Normal cells lack the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation that these cells possess. In contrast to traditional approaches that can either stop tissue degradation or lessen the symptoms, it has opened the door for a revolutionary therapy approach that restores the damage. The tissue recovery by stem cells can essentially restore the tissue health to its original state and reinstate tissue function. Furthermore, stem cell culture has deepened the understanding of developmental and differentiation processes. It has even led to the formation of induced pluripotent stem cells that can transform into any cell type.
End-stage tissue damage often requires transplantation of healthy tissue or organs. However, finding an appropriate match and lack of donors prolong the time to transplant, resulting in high mortality. Cell culture has emerged with a potential solution. In the last decade, cell culture has taken a leap towards three-dimensional (3D) culture. It replicates the tissue microenvironment for multiple cells to grow, where they can retain tissue-based characteristics and incorporate cell-cell communication. 3D culture has become a more appropriate in vitro representation of the tissue, detailing the tissue processes more accurately. However, this has also led to the development of tissues/organs in laboratories that can be transplanted into patients. According to several studies in this field, these lab-grown organs perform functions identical to those of in vivo tissues. Further research can turn transplants with in vitro tissues into reality.
Cells have laid the foundation of modern biomedical research. Animal cell culture applications have contributed to the knowledge about cell processes, genetic changes, and diseases. They are an effective platform to conduct biological research in a timely manner without huge investments of money or labor. Kosheeka offers a wide inventory of primary cells, cell lines, and stem cells to enhance your in vitro culture experience for reliable result generation.