cellssupported

cellssupported is a proposed quantitative concept in cell culture and tissue engineering that denotes the extent to which a given culture environment sustains cell viability, growth, and functional activity. It is intended as an integrative measure rather than a single property, incorporating multiple interacting factors such as biochemical signaling, extracellular matrix mimicry, mechanical stiffness, porosity, and nutrient and oxygen transport.

Measurement and calculation: A cellssupported score is typically built as a composite index derived from experimental assays and measurements. Common components include cell viability and proliferation, metabolic activity, expression of lineage- or function-specific markers, morphological indicators, and diffusion or perfusion metrics. Scores are often normalized to a reference condition and combined with a weighting scheme appropriate to the cell type and application. Some approaches use imaging, electrode or sensor data, or computational models to estimate the effective microenvironmental support.

Applications: The concept is used to compare materials (hydrogels, scaffolds), surface chemistries, bioreactor settings, and microfluidic formats. It aids design optimization, material selection, and process development for tissue engineering, organ-on-a-chip, and regenerative medicine.

Limitations: As an aggregate metric, cellssupported can obscure which factors drive differences, may vary with cell type and phenotype, and depends on chosen assays and weights. A lack of standardized definition can hinder cross-study comparisons.

See also: Cell culture, Tissue engineering, Extracellular matrix, Scaffold, Bioreactor, Organ-on-a-chip.