Weekly Journal Club Highlight Cytocentric Measurement: Rethinking Cell Culture for Regenerative Medicine

This week at Islet Nexus, our Journal Club spotlight shines on Samitha, who presented a thought-provoking perspective article titled “Cytocentric Measurement for Regenerative Medicine” (Frontiers in Medical Technology, 2023).

The article challenges the conventional approach to cell culture by emphasizing the importance of designing environments around the needs of the cells themselves—a concept the authors call “cytocentric.” Samitha guided us through how regenerative medicine can benefit from continuous, non-invasive, and dynamic measurements of cell health, such as real-time oxygen consumption, pH levels, and morphological monitoring in both 2D and 3D cultures.

Her presentation sparked important discussions around how most current tissue engineering practices rely on static, manual, and sometimes non-physiological culture systems, which can compromise reproducibility and clinical success. By contrast, cytocentric approaches focus on individualized, dynamic, and well-controlled environments that adapt to cell behavior—paving the way for more reliable manufacturing of cell-based therapies.

As we explore ways to improve islet cell production and transplantation, this article was a timely reminder of the critical role of measurement and environmental control in shaping cell fate and function.

Thanks to Samitha for an excellent presentation and for pushing us to think more like the cells we’re trying to grow!

📖 Read the article: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmedt.2023.1154653

Tags: #JournalClub #Cytocentric #RegenerativeMedicine #StemCellCulture #IsletNexus