# Release, Transfer, Fold: Using a Silicone Adhesive for On-Demand 3D Tissue Engineering

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a flexible silicone adhesive film that allows on-demand 3D tissue engineering by enabling the release, transfer, and folding of 2D cell cultures into complex 3D structures.

## Contribution

The novel use of silicone adhesive films enables dynamic and programmable 3D tissue engineering with primary cell cultures.

## Key findings

- Primary epithelial cultures were rolled into tubes and assembled into cuboidal structures using the silicone adhesive films.
- Endothelial cultures were transferred between environments for coculturing, demonstrating the platform's versatility.
- The method offers an easy-to-implement solution for creating dynamic 3D tissue geometries.

## Abstract

Conventional cell
culture substrates are flat and rigid,
locking
cells in a permanent and unphysiological geometry. Advanced tissue
culture models that emulate the dynamic and 3D environments of organs
remain challenging to generate. Here, we establish flexible silicone
adhesive films as versatile substrates that enable the on-demand release,
transfer, and folding of cultured 2D tissues into 3D geometries. We
rolled primary epithelial cultures into tubes, assembled cuboidal
structures, and transferred primary endothelial cultures between culture
environments for coculturing. Our approach provides an easy-to-implement
platform for dynamic geometrical designs in tissue engineering.