3D Cell Culture Market Expected to Reach $8.3 Billion by 2031—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “3D Cell Culture Market," The 3d cell culture market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $8.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 18.2% from 2022 to 2031.

A 3D cell culture is defined as an assembly of biological cells in in-vitro environment in a particular pattern that resembles the in-vivo conditions present inside the human body. 3D cell cultures are mainly categorized into three types namely, standard cultures, organ-on-chip models, and tissue bioengineering. The use of 3D cell culture technology is recognized as an essential tool in drug discovery, toxicology testing, tissue engineering, and basic research. Cell culturing in 3D allows the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and enhanced interactions with the culture environment.

These characteristics play an important role in replicating in-vivo processes such as cell adherence, differentiation and proliferation in in-vitro conditions. The implementation of these approaches for developing predictive in-vitro screening assays resembling physiological environment for preclinical drug development is facilitating the use of 3D cell cultures in research.

The global 3D cell culture market size has witnessed exponential growth in the past few years due to shift in preferences of the researchers toward the use of these cultures, especially in cancer research. The cells in these cultures grow three dimensionally with zones of oxygen & nutrient gradients and cellular heterogeneity that closely reflects in-vivo microenvironment. As a result, several cellular functional differences such as alterations in protein expressions and responsiveness to inhibitor molecules are observed when cells are grown in 3D cell cultures in comparison to 2D.

Thus, these cultures provide a competitive edge over the monolayer cultured cells notably in drug discovery and development. Therefore, these factors are expected to impel the growth of the market during the forecast period. Moreover, global rise in the demand for organ transplantation owing to prevalence in lifestyle and chronic diseases is predicted to supplement the market growth further. On the contrary, costs associated with implantation of 3D cell cultures in contrast to 2D and irregularity in outcomes due to lack of standardized protocols are anticipated to restrict the growth of the market.

However, the emergence of advanced and innovative 3D cell culture technologies in coming years is expected to fuel the market growth. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic is expected to remain moderate for pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies in the 3D cell culture industry. The prominent players in the market are facing a set-back, due to the lockdowns, which has led to a drop in the manufacturing and use of 3D cell culture among the researchers across universities & academic institutes. However, this deleterious impact is being compensated by a rapid development in stem cell therapy research and increase in R&D for developing regenerative medicines for treating COVID-19 patients.

The 3D cell culture market size is segmented on the basis of product, application, end user, and region. By product, the market is classified into scaffold-based platforms, scaffold-free platforms, gels, bioreactors, microchips, and services. The scaffold-based platforms segment dominated the 3D cell culture market share in 2021, and is estimated to register a CAGR of 18.8% from 2022-2031. 

By application, the 3D cell culture market is divided into cancer research, stem cell research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. The cancer research segment dominated the global 3D cell culture market trends in 2021, and is estimated to register a CAGR of 17.3% from 2022 to 2031.

By end user, the market is categorized into biotechnology & pharmaceutical companies, contract research laboratories, and academic institutes. The academic institutes segment dominated the 3D cell culture market analysis in 2021, and is expected to grow with a significant growth rate of 18.45% from 2022 to 2031.

Region wise, the market has been analyzed across four regions namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The North America 3D cell culture market accounted for a major share of the global market registering an estimated CAGR of 16.3% during the forecast period. The growth trend in the North America market is characterized by the maturity of the market, in terms of penetration and availability of advanced 3D cell culture products.
 

Key findings of the study
•    By product, microchips segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 21.3% during the forecast period.
•    By end user, the academic institutes segment accounted for nearly half of the share of the global 3D Cell Culture industry in 2020.
•    Region-wise, Asia Pacific is expected to experience growth at the highest rate, registering a CAGR of 19.8% during the 3D cell culture market forecast period.