Cellular research is optimal when using physiologically-relevant cell phenotypes and genotypes of human origin. This assertion has accelerated the adoption of primary cells, stem cells, and increasingly, patient-specific cells in drug discovery. Over the last five years, technological improvements in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technology, to better mimic in vivo physiology, have also accelerated, not only in the areas of cancer and neurological research, but also in the assessment of clinical candidates for metabolic and toxicological liabilities. In this presentation, existing, and future, developments in 3D cell culture technology, (including the use of phenotypically-relevant human iPS cells) on fundamental research and drug discovery will be addressed. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understanding current status of 3D technologies  
2. Understanding applications to disease modeling and drug discovery