Cornelia Kasper

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna | boku · Biotechnology Institute for Cell and Tissue Culture Technologies

Understanding the growth and functionality variation of lymphocytes during expansion is fundamental for process control and endpoint determination. However, monitoring CQAs along lymphocyte expansion requires offline cell characterization, hindering timely identification of process deviations and transitions. We developed a culturing protocol that...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most prominent type of adult stem cells for clinical applications. Three-dimensional (3D) cultivation of MSCs in biomimetic hydrogels provides a more physiologically relevant cultivation microenvironment for in vitro testing and modeling, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional planar cultivation methods...

Gangliosides are an indispensable glycolipid class concentrated on cell surfaces with a critical role in stem cell differentiation. Nonetheless, owing to the lack of suitable methods for scalable analysis covering the full scope of ganglioside molecular diversity, their mechanistic properties in signaling and differentiation remain undiscovered to...

Skin equivalents and skin explants are widely used for dermal penetration studies in the pharmacological development of drugs. Environmental parameters, such as the incubation and culture conditions affect cellular responses and thus the relevance of the experimental outcome. However, available systems such as the Franz diffusion chamber, only meas...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membrane structures exerting major effects in physiological as well as pathological processes by functioning as vehicles for the delivery of biomolecules to their target cells. An increasing number of effects previously attributed to cell-based therapies have been recognized to be actually mediated by E...

Gangliosides are an indispensable glycolipid class concentrated on cell surfaces with a critical role in stem cell differentiation. Nonetheless, owing to the lack of suitable methods for scalable analysis covering the full scope of ganglioside molecular diversity, their mechanistic properties in signaling and differentiation remain undiscovered to...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are primary candidates in tissue engineering and stem cell therapies due to their intriguing regenerative and immunomodulatory potential. Their ability to self-assemble into three-dimensional (3D) aggregates further improves some of their therapeutic properties, e.g., differentiation potential, secretion of cytokines,...

Matrix remodeling could be an important mode of action of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in extracellular matrix (ECM) disease, but knowledge is limited in this respect. As MSC are well-known to adapt their behavior to their environment, we aimed to investigate if their mode of action would change in response to healthy versus patholog...

The use of 3D cell cultures has gained increasing importance in medical and pharmaceutical research. However, the analysis of the culture medium is hardly representative for the culture conditions within a 3D model which hinders the standardization of 3D cultures and translation of results. Therefore, we developed a modular monitoring platform comb...

The utilization of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells raises new hopes in treatment of diseases and pathological conditions, while at the same time bringing immense challenges for researchers, manufacturers and physicians. It is essential to consider all steps along the in vitro fabrication of cell‐based products in order to reach efficient and reprodu...

This chapter will provide an overview on scaffold-free 3D models focusing on aggregates, spheroids, and organoids. While often used synonymously, the differences are presented as well as the origin and advancement until the current date. Moreover, the advantages that scaffold-free systems offer and their limitations are discussed as well as fields...

When starting to work with 3D cell cultures it is essential to be aware of the differences to common 2D cultures in terms of expenses and equipment as well as the type and dimension of 3D you intend to work with. The various culture methods require different equipment, efforts, and awareness on handling and analytics. Therefore, it is crucial to ch...

Mesenchymal stem cells ( are primary candidates for tissue engineering and stem cell therapies due to their intriguing regenerative potential and immunomodulatory effects 1 Their ability to self assemble into 3 D aggregates has shown to further improve some of their therapeutic properties (cytokine secretion, differentiation potential, homing capac...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of great interest for their use in cell-based therapies due to their multipotent differentiation and immunomodulatory capacities. In consequence of limited numbers following their isolation from the donor tissue, MSCs require extensive expansion performed in traditional 2D cell culture setups to reach adequate amou...

This textbook shall introduce the students to 3D cell culture approaches and applications. An overview on existing techniques and equipment is provided and insight into various aspects and challenges that researchers need to consider and face during culture of 3D cells is given. The reader will learn the importance of physiological cell, tissue and...

3D printing is increasingly important for the rapid prototyping of advanced and tailor-made cell culture devices. In this context, stereolithography represents a method for the rapid generation of prototypes from photocurable polymers. However, the biocompatibility of commercially available photopolymers is largely unknown. Therefore, we evaluated...

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) display a variety of therapeutically relevant effects, such as the induction of angiogenesis, particularly under hypoxic conditions. It is generally recognized that MSCs exert their effects by secretion of paracrine factors and by stimulation of host cells. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that some th...

The molecular study of fat cell development in the human body is essential for our understanding of obesity and related diseases. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are the ideal source to study fat formation as they are the progenitors of adipocytes. In this work, we used human MSCs, received from surgery waste, and differentiated them into fat...

The molecular study of fat cell development in the human body is essential for our understanding of obesity and related diseases. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are the ideal source to study fat formation as they are the progenitors of adipocytes. In this work, we used human MSCs, received from surgery waste, and differentiate them into fat a...

Background: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are considered an important candidate in cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches. The culture of stem cells in a 3D environment is known to better resemble the in vivo situation and to promote therapeutically relevant effects in isolated cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop...

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are considered an important candidate in cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches. The culture of stem cells in a 3D environment is known to better resemble the in vivo situation and to promote therapeutically relevant effects in isolated cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an approach...

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and MSC‐derived products have emerged as promising therapeutic tools. To fully exploit their potential, further mechanistic studies are still necessary and bioprocessing needs to be optimized, which requires an abundant supply of functional MSC for basic research. To address this need, here we used a nove...

This textbook provides an overview on current cell culture techniques, conditions, and applications specifically focusing on human cell culture. This book is based on lectures, seminars and practical courses in stem cells, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and 3D cell culture held at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vie...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as primary candidates for cell-based therapies due to their multiple effects in regenerative medicine. Pre-conditioning of MSCs under physiological conditions—such as hypoxia, three-dimensional environments, and dynamic cultivation—prior to transplantation proved to optimize their therapeutic efficiency....

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical trials for cell based therapies and as the biological part of diverse tissue engineered constructs. Plastic adherence is the oldest method for MSCs isolation and one of the minimal criteria which must be fulfilled for MSCs characterization. However, isolation and expansion of MSCs in non-phy...

Aggregate cultivation is considered a more physiologic alternative to traditional 2D cell culture. In contrast, the formation of 3D MSC aggregates seems to preserve their phenotype and differentiation potential. Furthermore, increased secretion of proangiogenic factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines was observed after aggregate formation. Mesenchy...

A major challenge in tissue engineering and cell-therapy-based approaches is the production of a significant amount of functional cells. Although it does not represent a physiologic environment, most of stem cell cultivation is performed in static conditions (e.g., petri dishes). Furthermore, static expansion or differentiation of stem cells is lab...

This chapter gives insight into commercially available automated cultivation systems for cell culture technologies as well as the theoretical background of process automation and modeling. Exemplary bioreactor systems with sensors, actors, and process principles are described, ranging from the classical stirred tank reactor to more advanced perfuse...

Collagen is a main component of the extracellular matrix. It is often used in medical applications to support tissue regeneration, hemostasis, or wound healing. Due to different sources of collagen, the properties and performance of available products can vary significantly. In this in vitro study, a comparison of seven different collagen matrices...

The standard cell culture oxygen concentration of 21 percent O 2 does not represent the physiologic environment of stem cells. Indeed, hypoxic (< 21 percent O 2) conditions heavily affect cellular processes such as growth, apoptosis and energy metabolism. In the context of clinical trials a fast ex vivo expansion of stem cells while maintaining the...

The three dimensional (3D) cultivation of stem cells in dynamic bioreactor systems is essential in the context of regenerative medicine. Still, there is a lack of bioreactor systems that allow the cultivation of multiple independent samples under different conditions while ensuring comprehensive control over the mechanical environment. Therefore, w...

Extensive expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cell-based therapies remains challenging since long-term cultivation and excessive passaging in two-dimensional conditions result in a loss of essential stem cell properties. Indeed, low survival rate of cells, alteration of surface marker profiles, and reduced differentiation capacity are ob...

It is crucial but challenging to keep physiologic conditions during the cultivation of 3D cell scaffold constructs for the optimization of 3D cell culture processes. Therefore, we demonstrate the benefits of a recently developed miniaturized perfusion bioreactor together with a specialized incubator system that allows for the cultivation of multipl...

Targeted nanomedicine builds on the concept that nanoparticles can be directed to specific tissues while remaining inert to others organs. Many studies have been performed on the synthesis and cellular interactions of core–shell nanoparticles, in which a functional inorganic core is coated with a biocompatible polymer layer that should reduce nonsp...

Surface modification is an important step in production of medical implants. Surface roughening creates additional surface area to enhance the bonding between the implant and the bone. Recent research provided a means to alter the microstructure of titanium by severe plastic deformation (SPD) in order to increase its strength, and thereby reduce th...

The p-value is the most prominent established metric for statistical significance in non-targeted metabolomics. However, its adequacy has repeatedly been the subject of discussion criticizing its uncertainty and its dependence on sample size and statistical power. These issues compromise non-targeted metabolomics in model systems, where studies typ...

Conventional cell culture procedures are far from representing the environment experienced by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vivo. In order to engineer functional cells and tissue from the scratch one has to consider various/many different parameters to mimic the physiologic environment. For the expansion and guided differentiation of MSC perfusio...

Tendon and ligament pathologies are still a therapeutic challenge, due to the difficulty in restoring the complex extracellular matrix architecture and biomechanical strength. While progress is being made in cell-based therapies and tissue engineering approaches, comprehensive understanding of the fate of progenitor cells in tendon healing is still...

Background and Novelty: The development of stable tissue-engineered autologous bone grafts in the field of regenerative medicine is still a challenge. Perfusion bioreactors not only provide continuous nutrition supply and waste removal, but are also suitable for the controlled application of mechanical forces like fluid shear stress. Mechanical loa...

Nanoparticles have the potential to exhibit risks to human beings and to the environment; due to the wide applications of nanoproducts, extensive risk management must not be neglected.Therefore, we have constructed a cell-based, iterative screening system to examine a variety of nanoproducts concerning their toxicity during development. The sensiti...

Biocompatible cellulose-based aerogels composed of nanoporous struts, which embed interconnected voids of controlled micron-size, have been prepared employing temporary templates of fused porogens, reinforcement by interpenetrating PMMA networks and supercritical carbon dioxide drying. Different combinations of cellulose solvent (Ca(SCN)2/H2O/LiCl...

In the context of bone tissue engineering (BTE), combinations of bioactive scaffolds with living cells are investigated to optimally yield functional bone tissue for implantation purposes. Bioactive glasses are a class of highly bioactive, inorganic materials with broad application potential in BTE strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate...

Nanoporous silica materials have become a prominent novel class of biomaterials which are typically applied as nanoparticles or thin films. Their large surface area combined with the rich surface chemistry of amorphous silica affords the possibility to equip this material with variable functionalities, also with several different ones on the same p...

Following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), interferon (IFN)-γ levels in the recipient's body can strongly influence the clinical outcome. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are lucrative as biological tolerance-inducers in HSCT settings. Hence, we studied the molecular mechanism of how UC-MSCs in...

Recruitment of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) into the field of tissue engineering is a promising development since these cells can be expanded ex vivo to clinically relevant numbers and, after expansion, retain their ability to differentiate into various cell lineages. Safety requirements and the necessity to obtain high cell numbers without freq...

Background aims: The discovery of regenerative and immunosuppressive capacities of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) raises hope for patients with tissue-damaging or severe, treatment-refractory autoimmune disorders. We previously presented a method to expand human MSCs in a bioreactor under standardized Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. Now...

Introduction: Generation of adipose tissue for burn patients that suffer from an irreversible loss of the hypodermis is still one of the most complex challenges in tissue engineering. Electrospun materials with their micro- and nanostructures are already well established for their use as extracellular matrix substitutes. Gelatin is widely used in...

Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly considered to be used as biological immunosuppressants in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the early reconstitution phase following HSCT, natural killer (NK) cells represent the major lymphocyte population in peripheral blood and display graft-vs-leukemia (GvL) effects. The...

Wound healing requires an orchestrated integration of complex biological and molecular events, which include inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells seem to promote wound healing and tissue repair. Wharton's jelly stem cells promote fibroblast proliferation and migration, accelerate re-epithelialization an...

The combination of microfabrication-based technologies with cell biology has laid the foundation for the development of advanced in vitro diagnostic systems capable of analyzing cell cultures under physiologically relevant conditions. In the present review, we address recent lab-on-a-chip developments for stem cell analysis. We highlight in particu...