Table 2.
Selection of studies culturing vibrating microtome-generated slices from different organs or tissues
| Organ/ tissue |
Species | Slice thickness |
Culture time (max) | Culture system features | Purpose | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain | rt | 300 µm | 8 weeks | On insert, ALI, lentiviral infection | Protocol for creating hippocampal slices | [30] |
| ms | 110 µm | 4 weeks | On insert, different Co-cultures | Protocol for co-cultures | [31] | |
| hu | 250-350 µm | 6 weeks | On insert, submerged, | Protocol for creating cortical slices | [32] | |
| Spinal cord | rt | 350 µm | 14 days | On insert, ALI | Model development | [33] |
| Oculomotor nerve | ms | 400-450 µm | 72 h | On insert, submerged, | Study of oculomotor nerve outgrowth | [34] |
| Retina | ms, rt | 40 – 170 µm | 4 weeks | Submerged, in a LumiCycle | Study of circadian oscillations | [35] |
| pg | 250-300 µm | 48 h | Within a gelatine sandwich, submerged | Morphometry and viability of photorecetors | [36] | |
| fs | 150 µm | 5 days | On coverslips, agarose coated | Method validation, interaction among retinal cells | [37] | |
| rt | 125 µm | 3 weeks | Plasma clot technique for cultivation | Electrophysiological recordings (patch clamp) | [38] | |
| Olfactory epithelium | rt | 400 µm | 5 days | On coated inserts, submerged | Method for assessing olfactory development and function | [39] |
| Heart | rt, ms, hu, pg, dg | 100-400 µm | 7 days | ALI | Model development | [40] |
| hu, ms | 380 µm | 4 days | In chip, dynamic, with sensors | Shippable model for pre-clinical drug testing and basic research | [41] | |
| hu, pg | 300 µm | 6 days |
Submerged, electrical stimulation, media oxygenation |
Model for drug testing and gene therapy |
[42] | |
| ms | 300 µm | 6 days | On insert, ALI | Model for gene therapy, gene transfer efficiency, cell tropism, and toxicity | [43] | |
| hu | 400 µm | 48 h | On insert, ALI | SARS-CoV-2 infection model | [44] | |
| hu | 300 µm | 14 days | Submerged, application of pre- and afterload | Analysis of contraction force and kinetics | [45] | |
| pg | 400-500 µm | 48 h | On PDMS pillars, ALI, with/without insert, static and dynamic | Study epicardial cell physiology and activation | [46] | |
| Lung | ms | 275 µm | 5 days | On insert, ALI | Model for circadian timing in lung, role of Clara cells and glucocorticoids | [47] |
| hu, ms | 500 µm, 300 µm | 5 days | Submerged, rolling, co-culture with transfected fibroblasts | Multidimensional immunolabeling and 4D time-lapse imaging of vital slices | [48] | |
| hu, ms | 500 µm, 300 µm | 14 days | Submerged | Wnt-induced repair, 4D confocal live tissue imaging | [49] | |
| ms | 150 µm | 15 days | Submerged | Study of small airway smooth muscle contraction | [50] | |
| rt | 500 µm | 12 h | Stretcher to mimic breathing mechanic | Analysis of response to cigarette smoke | [51] | |
| pg, hm, ct | 350 µm | 4 days | Submerged | Check for susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 | [52] | |
| ms | 300 µm | 4 days | Submerged | Study of pulmonary fibrosis disease mechanisms | [53] | |
| Salivary gland | hu | 35 µm and 50 µm | 14 days | On insert, ALI | Slice culture model development | [54] |
| ms | 50 µm | 2 days | Submerged | Slice culture model development with emphasis on imaging | [55] | |
| Small Intestine | ms | 250 µm | 6 days | Slices covered with collagen and medium on top | Model for interactions of different cell types in the intestine | [56] |
| ms | 250 µm | 48 h | Slices covered with collagen and medium on top | Neuronal regulation of goblet cell production by | [57] | |
| Colon | hu | 250 µm | 3 days | On collagen-covered slices, submerged, co-culture with S. typhimurium | Host microbial interactions, influence of oxygen availability | [58] |
| Prostate | hu | 200-300 µm | 10 days | Submerged, hypoxia | Prostate tissue model | [59] |
| Pancreas | ms | 100 µm | 12 weeks | On insert, ALI; electrophysiology | β-cell physiology modell establishment | [60] |
| Liver | hu, rt | 100-400 µm | 28 days | On insert, ALI | Fibrosis model | [61] |
| ms | 100-250 µm | 5 days | Submerged | Model for chronic liver diseases | [62] | |
| ms, hu | 250 µm | 5 days | Submerged | Improve slice culture, fibrosis drug therapy testing | [63] | |
| Spleen | ms | 230 µm | 4 days | Submerged | Protocol, method validation | [64] |
| Thymus | ms | 400–500 µm | Several days | On insert, submerged; overlayed with thymocyte cell suspension | Model for studying T cell development | [65] |
| Femur | rt | 300-400 µm | 3 weeks | On insert | Study enchondral osteogenesis | [66] |
| Meibomian gland | ms | 150 µm | 21 days | Submerged | Model development, effect of melanocortins on secretion | [67] |
| Endometrium | hu | 200 µm | 48 h | Submerged | Modulation of endometrial PGE2 synthesis | [68] |
ALI Air–liquid interface, hu human, rt rat, ms mouse, pg pig, dg dog, hm hamster, ct cat