Investigation of cell function is often hampered by the complexity of the tissue context. This problem is circumvented by isolating cells from tissues and analyzing their behavior in culture. Most cell types are cultured as monolayers on planar, rigid Petri dishes, an environment that does not reflect the spatial, three-dimensional cellular environment in vivo. Culture in three-dimensional collagen lattices has been devised to optimize in vitro culture conditions and to provide a more physiologic "in vivo-like" environment. Collagen lattices can easily be manipulated to suit diverse cell types and to provide variable mechanical forces. Cells can be imaged in such surroundings, and gene expression as well as protein production and activity can be monitored.
Keywords: Collagen-binding integrin; Fibroblast; MMP; Mechanical force; Morphology; Three-dimensional culture.