Read Our Latest Whitepaper Here

This article highlights common challenges when using Caco-2 cells to study intestinal permeability, including slow growth, overcrowding, instability over time, and scalability issues for drug discovery. It also emphasizes the need for specialized equipment and techniques for effective results.

3D cell culture uses ECM scaffolds and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip systems to recreate in vivo-like cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions, enabling organotypic functions, barrier models, and scalable high-throughput assays.

A screenable 3D model: The OrganoReady® Colon Organoid model integrates adult stem cell-derived organoids with the OrganoPlate® platform to predict gastrointestinal toxicity of oncology drugs through multiplex functional assays and perfused tissue analysis.

A 3D perfused multicellular intestinal model: the intestine-on-a-chip system replicates key features of inflammatory bowel disease using perfused multicellular tubules and immune cell co-culture, enabling automated screening of anti-inflammatory drug candidates.

2D cultures—simple and cost-effective—fall short of mimicking real tissues, while 3D systems (e.g., OrganoPlates® with ECM scaffolds and microfluidics) offer more physiologically relevant, high-throughput models for drug discovery and basic research.

A physiologically relevant 3D migration model: The endothelium-on-a-chip system enables high-throughput analysis of T cell transendothelial migration in response to chemotactic and tumor-derived triggers using perfused vessels and standard lab equipment.