We have developed Bioengineered Intestinal Tubules, a novel three-dimensional (3D) bioengineered intestinal model. To tackle the drawbacks of standard two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures, we introduce a 3D tube structure which integrates specialized intestinal cell types: absorptive enterocytes, goblet cells, enteroendocrine cells, Paneth cells and stem cells.
Improved morphology and differentiation potential allow the formation of villi-like structures and functional epithelial barrier while retaining specialized functions, such as brush border enzyme activity or transporter expression. Together with incorporated physiological parameters, this in vitro model succesfully recapitulates human in vivo gut environment.
Coupled with advanced multidimensional clustering and custom algorithms for evaluation of biological data, our 3D model allows for the development of multiple computational pipelines. This in silico component bridges in vitro profiling to possible future applications of tested compounds, thus revealing their potential in the early stage of discovery.