Speaker interview MRC Harwell Institute ahead of SMi’s 3D Cell Culture

SMi Reports: Alexander D. Graham’s interview released for SMi’s 3D Cell Culture Conference, taking place in February 2020 in London.

In just under 4 weeks SMi’s 4th Annual 3D Cell Culture conference is set to return to London on the 19th and 20th February 2020.
The conference will entail a comprehensive session on all areas regarding 3D Cell Culture such as: the potential of 3D cell culture for various applications, including models for personalized medicine, complex and multi-cell type models, translation and clinical and industrial applications and many more.
For those interested in attending, places are limited. Register at htpp://www.3D-cellculture.com/PR5

SMi Group has caught up with Alexander D. Graham, Investigator Scientist,
MRC Harwell Institute to discuss his views and expectations for the forthcoming conference.

Snapshot of Alexander’s interview:

The 3D Cell Culture market has matured greatly over recent years, what key differences have you noticed in the last year regarding significant developments?

“There has been a significant increase in the extent and diversity of research on 3D cell cultures as models of human physiology. In particular, great strives have been made towards using organoids as disease tissue models to study disease mechanisms and to predict treatment benefits. In the last year successful models have been generated from biobanks of patient biopsies and certain patient-derived models have displayed similar in vitro responses to clinical responses. In addition, more research has focused on co-cultures including the incorporation of immune cells and microbiomes, with evidence showing that their incorporation can influence cell behaviour and differentiation. Such model systems can provide a platform to study pathogenic infections providing new insights into key mechanisms of tissue immunity and subsequent medical treatments.”

What do you see as the greatest challenge for you to overcome personally in the complex in vitro modelling field at the moment?

“To aid mechanistic studies of adipose biology and adipose associated metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, we have developed a 3D adipogenic monoculture to model white adipose tissue. To further recapitulate the physiology of adipose, future model developments include humanisation, vascularisation and incorporating immune components. The challenge will be designing an appropriate model system which successful embodies all of these components. This will be a careful balance of cells source, components of a hydrogel-based matrix, culture regimes and the method of cell incorporation…”

The full interview, speaker line-up and complete agenda details are available to download on the event website at htpp://www.3D-cellculture.com/PR5

The conference is sponsored by: Cellink, Manchester Biogel, Biolamina, Merck and Promega
For sponsorship enquiries contact Alia Malick on +44 (0)20 7827 6164 or amalick@smi-online.co.uk
For media enquiries, contact Simi Sapal on +44 (0) 20 7827 6162 or ssapal@smi-online.co.uk

3D Cell Culture Conference 2020
Focus Day: 18 February 2020
Conference: 19th - 20th February 2020
Copthorne Tara Hotel, London, UK
htpp://www.3D-cellculture.com/PR5
#SMi3DCellCulture

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About SMi Group:
Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world’s most forward-thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found at http://www.smi-online.co.uk