{"id":18470,"date":"2024-09-12T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T11:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/?p=18470"},"modified":"2025-09-18T18:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:37:18","slug":"how-3d-cell-culture-models-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/how-3d-cell-culture-models-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How 3D Cell Culture Models Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term \u201c3D model\u201d might make one think of graphic design or hand-painted miniatures, but in cell culture, it\u2019s something truly remarkable. In contrast to traditional 2D cell culture which relies on cells grown in a single plane, 3D cell culture models are clusters of cells that can grow, differentiate, and organize into a complex structure that exhibits similar behavior and functions as the tissues from which they were cultured. The more representative cellular environment that 3D cell models provide results in an invaluable tool to explore areas of research that cannot be achieved using traditional 2D models. These models provide an ideal cellular environment for a variety of applications such as tissue engineering, cell therapy, disease modeling, tumor biology, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.<\/p>\n

Kinds of 3D Cell Culture Model<\/h2>\n

3D cell culture models can be derived from immortalized cell lines, primary or patient-derived cells, or from stem cells1<\/sup>.\u00a0 They can grow, proliferate, and differentiate and spatially arrange into different cell types. \u00a0What they have in common is that they are capable of self-renewal in the right culture media and behave, in many ways, like ordinary tissues and organs. Depending on their origin, these self-aggregating 3D cell culture models fall into three main categories:<\/p>\n