Understanding Adherent and Suspension Cell Culture, Day 33

Cell culture provides models to investigate signaling pathways, immune cell activation, and therapeutic testing. Mammalian cell cultures: adherent and suspension systems. 

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 
Most immune cells naturally exist in suspension. Immortalized suspension lines 𝘛𝘏𝘗-1 (𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢), 𝘕𝘈𝘓𝘔-6 (𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘉 𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢), and 𝘑𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘵 (𝘛 𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘥), for studying immune signaling, differentiation, and CAR-T development [1,2]. 
Primary cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), T cells, B cells, and NK cells are maintained in suspension – for functional assays and immunotherapy development [3]. 

𝗔𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗨𝘀𝗲 
Require attachment to a surface or extracellular matrix for survival and proliferation. Fibroblasts, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and cardiomyocytes.  

𝗜𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱: 
𝘏𝘌𝘒293𝘛 (𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘺) – often used for viral transduction and protein expression. 
𝘜3𝘈 – 𝘢 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘛1-𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, valuable for dissecting cytokine signaling. 
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘕𝘏𝘉𝘌 (𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴). 
Primary endothelial cells and primary cardiomyocytes. 

In immunology, adherent models serve as co-culture systems with suspension cells, when studying immune–epithelial or immune–endothelial interactions. Adherent cells allow the generation of 3D spheroids or organoids, applied in tumor immunology [4]. 

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 
Attachment: Adherent cells require a substrate (plastic), suspension cells grow freely. 
Handling: Suspension cultures are easier to passage, while adherent cells require enzymatic or mechanical detachment. 
Physiological relevance: Suspension lines mimic immune cells; adherent cultures model tissue–immune interfaces.   

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 
Suspension: THP-1 monocytes differentiated into M1/M2 macrophages, Jurkat for TCR signaling, NALM-6 for CAR-T testing. 
Adherent: Epithelial or endothelial cells for barrier function assays, dendritic–stromal co-culture, organoid immunology. 

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Which culture system do you use most in your immunology research? 

Stay tuned for 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟰: 𝗧𝗛𝗣-𝟭 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝟭 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝟮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 
1. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910260208 
2. doi: 10.1186/1747-1028-7-26 
3. doi: 10.1038/nri3158 
4. DOI: 10.1038/s41568-018-0007-6

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