Cell culture is used in cellular and molecular biology, providing excellent model systems for studying the normal physiology and biochemistry of cells (for example, metabolic studies, aging), the effects of drugs and toxic compounds on the cells, and mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. It is also used in drug screening and large-scale manufacturing of biological compounds (for example, vaccines and therapeutic proteins).
1. Model System: Cell culture is used as a model
system to study basic cell biology and biochemistry. It is also used to study
the interaction between cells and disease-causing agents like bacteria and viruses.
It helps to study the effects of drugs and the triggers for aging.
2. Cancer Research: Cell culture is one of the most
important tools in cancer research. The basic difference between normal cells
and cancer cells can be studied using the animal cell culture technique. Normal
cells are induced to become cancer cells by using radiation, chemicals, and viruses, and
then the cause of cancer is studied. Cell culture is also used to determine the
effective drugs for selectively destroying only cancer cells.
3. Virology: Animal cell cultures are used to
replicate the viruses instead of animals for the production of vaccines. Cell
culture can also be used to detect and isolate viruses, and also to study the growth
and development cycle of viruses. It is also used to study the mode of
infection. This technique is also used for the production of human and
veterinary viral vaccines against a variety of diseases.
4. Toxicity Testing: Animal cell culture is used to
study the effects of new drugs, cosmetics, and chemicals, and the growth of
multiple cells, especially liver and kidney cells. This technique is also used
to determine the maximum permissible dosage of new drugs.
5. Vaccine Production: Cultured animal cells are used
for virus production and these viruses are used to produce vaccines. For
example, Vaccines like polio, rabies, chicken pox, measles, and hepatitis B are
produced using animal cell culture. The polio vaccine produced in 1954 was the first
human vaccine produced using large-scale cell culture techniques.
6. Genetically Engineered Protein: Animal cell
cultures are used to produce commercially important genetically engineered
proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, insulin, hormones, etc. Proteins
extracted from biological sources are important for substitution therapy.
Interferon was discovered in 1957 by the cell culture method through viral infection.
Tissue plasminogen activator is produced on a large scale from transferred
CHO-K1 cells. It is used to prevent fibrin clots in the bloodstream. Blood
clotting factor VIII is produced on a large scale by Bayer through transfection
of the kidney cell line with an appropriate gene.
7. Replacement Tissue or Organ: Animal cell culture
is used as replacement tissue or organs. For example, artificial skin is
produced to treat patients with burns and ulcers. Recently, artificial organ
cultures such as liver, kidney, and pancreas have been successfully carried out
for transplantation. Organ culture techniques and research are also conducted
on both embryonic and adult stem cell cultures. These cells have the capacity
to differentiate into many different types of cells and organs.
8. Genetic Counseling: Fetal cell culture extracted
from pregnant women is used to study or examine the abnormalities of
chromosomes and genes using karyotyping, and these findings are used in the early
detection of fetal disorders.
9. Genetic Engineering: Cultured animal cells are
used to introduce new genetic material, like DNA or RNA, into the cell. This
method is used to study the expression of new genes and their effect on the
health of the cell. Insect cells are used to produce commercially important proteins
by infecting them with genetically altered baculoviruses. With this method,
mass-produced insulin, human growth hormone, human albumin, vaccines, etc.
10. Gene Therapy: Cultured animal cells are
genetically altered and are used in gene therapy techniques. First, cells are
removed from the patient who lacks a functional gene or has a missing functional
gene. These genes are replaced by functional genes, and altered cells are
cultured and grown in laboratory conditions and are introduced into the patient. A functional gene is inserted into the genome of the viral vector, and then they
are allowed to infect the patient, and the missing gene will be expressed with
the help of the viral vector.
11. Drug Screening and Development: Animal cell
cultures are used to study the cytotoxicity of new drugs. This is also used to
find out the effective and safe dosage of new drugs. Cell-based assay plays an
important role in the pharmaceutical industry. Originally, these cell culture
tests were done in 96-well plates, but recently these tests are conducted in 384
and 1536-well plates.