ArticleCells2024
Development of Pyramidal Microwells for Enhanced Cell Spheroid Formation in a Cell-on-Chip Microfluidic System for Cardiac Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.
Article in Cells, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Unlocking the Potential of Spheroids in Personalized Medicine: A Systematic Review of Seeding Methodologies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- 3D bioprinting of microfluidic systems for cardiac regenerative medicine: from biofabrication to organ-on-a-chip.Journal of biological engineering · 2026Review
- Living Tissues by Design: The Rise of Hybrid Models in Biofabrication.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture models provide in vivo-like conditions for studying cell physiology. This study aimed to examine the efficiency of pyramidal microwell geometries in microfluidic devices on spheroid formation, cell growth, viability, and differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). The static culture using the hanging drop (HD) method served as a control. The microfluidic chips were fabricated to have varying pyramidal tip angles, including 66°, 90°, and 106°. From flow simulations, when the tip angle increased, streamline distortion decreased, resulting in more uniform flow and a lower velocity gradient near the spheroids. These findings demonstrate the significant influence of microwell geometry on fluid dynamics. The 90° microwells provide optimal conditions, including uniform flow and reduced shear stress, while maintaining the ability for waste removal, resulting in superior spheroid growth compared to the HD method and other microwell designs. From the experiments, by Day 3, spheroids in the 90° microwells reached approximately 400 µm in diameter which was significantly larger than those in the 66° microwells, 106° microwells, and HD cultures. Brachyury gene expression in the 90° microwells was four times higher than the HD method, indicating enhanced mesodermal differentiation essential for cardiac differentiation. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed cardiomyocyte differentiation. In conclusion, microwell geometry significantly influences 3D cell culture outcomes. The pyramidal microwells with a 90° tip angle proved most effective in promoting spheroid growth and cardiac differentiation of mESC differentiation, providing insights for optimizing microfluidic systems in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.