What are the applications for primary cell culture?

The various applications for primary cell culture include: 3D cell culture, virology, vaccine production, genetic engineering, cancer research, and stem cell therapy. Primary cells are non-immortalized, and thus have more physiologically significant results that can be used to create 3D tissues. These cells can then be used in interactions between cell and disease-causing molecules, to study the process of aging, and to study cell signaling. In cancer research, primary cells may be exposed to radiation, chemicals, and viruses to see their response. Therefore, the mechanism and cause of cancer, as well as the altered signaling pathway can be studied. These cells may also be utilized for studying the efficiency of drugs for cancer cells. In virology, the detection, growth, isolation and development stages of viruses may be studied. Primary cells also are used to study the mode of infection. In vaccine production, primary animal cells are utilized in the creation of viruses to be used in vaccines such as hepatitis B and polio. Primary cell cultures are also used to create genetically engineered proteins like monoclonal antibodies, and insulin hormones during genetic engineering. In stem cell therapy, stem cells which are isolated from the blood, bone marrow, or embryo involve primary cell culture. A person's own stem cells or from a donor are grown in vitro for creating enough cells to be able to regenerate tissue.