Celstapel

Celstapel is a Dutch term that refers to a vertical arrangement of cells. In biology and biotechnology, a celstapel denotes an aggregation of individual cells or cell sheets stacked in a vertical sequence to form multilayered tissue constructs. The concept is used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to recreate aspects of native tissue architecture and to study cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions.

Techniques to create celstacks include layering pre-formed cell sheets, stacking cultured cell layers without extensive scaffolding, and bioprinting methods that deposit successive cell layers. Stacking can increase tissue thickness and function, but it also raises challenges for nutrient and oxygen diffusion, waste removal, and mechanical stability. Researchers address these issues with vascularization strategies, porous scaffolds, dynamic culture, or controlled shear to maintain viability.

In histology, the term may also describe observed vertical arrangements of cells within stratified tissues, such as epithelia, where cells form discrete layers. In other domains, "cell stack" is used more generally to describe a sequence of units that collectively perform a function, including in materials science or electrochemistry; however, celstapel as a specific term is most common in biology-related contexts.

Etymology: cel (cell) and stapel (stack). See also three-dimensional cell culture, cell sheet engineering, tissue engineering.