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Skirzynska A, Xue C, Shoichet MS. Engineering Biomaterials to Model Immune-Tumor Interactions In Vitro. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2310637. [PMID: 38349174 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Engineered biomaterial scaffolds are becoming more prominent in research laboratories to study drug efficacy for oncological applications in vitro, but do they have a place in pharmaceutical drug screening pipelines? The low efficacy of cancer drugs in phase II/III clinical trials suggests that there are critical mechanisms not properly accounted for in the pre-clinical evaluation of drug candidates. Immune cells associated with the tumor may account for some of these failures given recent successes with cancer immunotherapies; however, there are few representative platforms to study immune cells in the context of cancer as traditional 2D culture is typically monocultures and humanized animal models have a weakened immune composition. Biomaterials that replicate tumor microenvironmental cues may provide a more relevant model with greater in vitro complexity. In this review, the authors explore the pertinent microenvironmental cues that drive tumor progression in the context of the immune system, discuss how these cues can be incorporated into hydrogel design to culture immune cells, and describe progress toward precision oncological drug screening with engineered tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Skirzynska
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Chang Xue
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Molly S Shoichet
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H4, Canada
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2
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Pal S, Chaudhari R, Baurceanu I, Hill BJ, Nagy BA, Wolf MT. Extracellular Matrix Scaffold-Assisted Tumor Vaccines Induce Tumor Regression and Long-Term Immune Memory. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2309843. [PMID: 38302823 PMCID: PMC11009079 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Injectable scaffold delivery is a strategy to enhance the efficacy of cancer vaccine immunotherapy. The choice of scaffold biomaterial is crucial, impacting both vaccine release kinetics and immune stimulation via the host response. Extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds prepared from decellularized tissues facilitate a pro-healing inflammatory response that promotes local cancer immune surveillance. Here, an ECM scaffold-assisted therapeutic cancer vaccine that maintains an immune microenvironment consistent with tissue reconstruction is engineered. Several immune-stimulating adjuvants are screened to develop a cancer vaccine formulated with decellularized small intestinal submucosa (SIS) ECM scaffold co-delivery. It is found that the STING pathway agonist cyclic di-AMP most effectively induces cytotoxic immunity in an ECM scaffold vaccine, without compromising key interleukin 4 (IL-4) mediated immune pathways associated with healing. ECM scaffold delivery enhances therapeutic vaccine efficacy, curing 50-75% of established E.G-7OVA lymphoma tumors in mice, while none are cured with soluble vaccine. SIS-ECM scaffold-assisted vaccination prolonged antigen exposure is dependent on CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and generates long-term antigen-specific immune memory for at least 10 months post-vaccination. This study shows that an ECM scaffold is a promising delivery vehicle to enhance cancer vaccine efficacy while being orthogonal to characteristics of pro-healing immune hallmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Pal
- Cancer Biomaterial Engineering Section, Cancer Innovation
Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
21702
| | - Rohan Chaudhari
- Cancer Biomaterial Engineering Section, Cancer Innovation
Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
21702
- OHSU School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science
University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Iris Baurceanu
- Cancer Biomaterial Engineering Section, Cancer Innovation
Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
21702
| | - Brenna J. Hill
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National
Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Bethany A. Nagy
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP), National Cancer
Institute, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Matthew T. Wolf
- Cancer Biomaterial Engineering Section, Cancer Innovation
Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
21702
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Zhou Z, Pang Y, Ji J, He J, Liu T, Ouyang L, Zhang W, Zhang XL, Zhang ZG, Zhang K, Sun W. Harnessing 3D in vitro systems to model immune responses to solid tumours: a step towards improving and creating personalized immunotherapies. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:18-32. [PMID: 37402992 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00896-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
In vitro 3D models are advanced biological tools that have been established to overcome the shortcomings of oversimplified 2D cultures and mouse models. Various in vitro 3D immuno-oncology models have been developed to mimic and recapitulate the cancer-immunity cycle, evaluate immunotherapy regimens, and explore options for optimizing current immunotherapies, including for individual patient tumours. Here, we review recent developments in this field. We focus, first, on the limitations of existing immunotherapies for solid tumours, secondly, on how in vitro 3D immuno-oncology models are established using various technologies - including scaffolds, organoids, microfluidics and 3D bioprinting - and thirdly, on the applications of these 3D models for comprehending the cancer-immunity cycle as well as for assessing and improving immunotherapies for solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Zhou
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Pang
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
| | - Jingyuan Ji
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyu He
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Tiankun Liu
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Liliang Ouyang
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaitai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Aetiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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4
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Sun L, Wang X, He Y, Chen B, Shan B, Yang J, Wang R, Zeng X, Li J, Tan H, Liang R. Polyurethane scaffold-based 3D lung cancer model recapitulates in vivo tumor biological behavior for nanoparticulate drug screening. Regen Biomater 2023; 10:rbad091. [PMID: 37965109 PMCID: PMC10641150 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbad091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Preclinical studies in lung cancer hold the promise of screening for effective antitumor agents, but mechanistic studies and drug discovery based on 2D cell models have a high failure rate in getting to the clinic. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore more reliable and effective in vitro lung cancer models. Here, we prepared a series of three-dimensional (3D) waterborne biodegradable polyurethane (WBPU) scaffolds as substrates to establish biomimetic tumor models in vitro. These 3D WBPU scaffolds were porous and could absorb large amounts of free water, facilitating the exchange of substances (nutrients and metabolic waste) and cell growth. The scaffolds at wet state could simulate the mechanics (elastic modulus ∼1.9 kPa) and morphology (porous structures) of lung tissue and exhibit good biocompatibility. A549 lung cancer cells showed adherent growth pattern and rapidly formed 3D spheroids on WBPU scaffolds. Our results showed that the scaffold-based 3D lung cancer model promoted the expression of anti-apoptotic and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes, giving it a more moderate growth and adhesion pattern compared to 2D cells. In addition, WBPU scaffold-established 3D lung cancer model revealed a closer expression of proteins to in vivo tumor, including tumor stem cell markers, cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and tumor resistance proteins. Based on these features, we further demonstrated that the 3D lung cancer model established by the WBPU scaffold was very similar to the in vivo tumor in terms of both resistance and tolerance to nanoparticulate drugs. Taken together, WBPU scaffold-based lung cancer model could better mimic the growth, microenvironment and drug response of tumor in vivo. This emerging 3D culture system holds promise to shorten the formulation cycle of individualized treatments and reduce the use of animals while providing valid research data for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Sun
- Department of Targeting Therapy & Immunology; Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Department of Medical Polymer Materials; Department of Artificial Organism, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yushui He
- Department of Medical Polymer Materials; Department of Artificial Organism, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, People’s Republic of China
| | - Boran Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baoyin Shan
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinlong Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruoran Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xihang Zeng
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiehua Li
- Department of Medical Polymer Materials; Department of Artificial Organism, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Tan
- Department of Medical Polymer Materials; Department of Artificial Organism, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruichao Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China
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Zhang W, Chen Y, Li M, Cao S, Wang N, Zhang Y, Wang Y. A PDA-Functionalized 3D Lung Scaffold Bioplatform to Construct Complicated Breast Tumor Microenvironment for Anticancer Drug Screening and Immunotherapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302855. [PMID: 37424037 PMCID: PMC10502821 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
2D cell culture occupies an important place in cancer progression and drug discovery research. However, it limitedly models the "true biology" of tumors in vivo. 3D tumor culture systems can better mimic tumor characteristics for anticancer drug discovery but still maintain great challenges. Herein, polydopamine (PDA)-modified decellularized lung scaffolds are designed and can serve as a functional biosystem to study tumor progression and anticancer drug screening, as well as mimic the tumor microenvironment. PDA-modified scaffolds with strong hydrophilicity and excellent cell compatibility can promote cell growth and proliferation. After 96 h treatment with 5-FU, cisplatin, and DOX, higher survival rates in PDA-modified scaffolds are observed compared to nonmodified scaffolds and 2D systems. The E-cadhesion formation, HIF-1α-mediated senescence decrease, and tumor stemness enhancement can drive drug resistance and antitumor drug screening of breast cancer cells. Moreover, there is a higher survival rate of CD45+ /CD3+ /CD4+ /CD8+ T cells in PDA-modified scaffolds for potential cancer immunotherapy drug screening. This PDA-modified tumor bioplatform will supply some promising information for studying tumor progression, overcoming tumor resistance, and screening tumor immunotherapy drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanheng Zhang
- Department of PharmacyThe First Affiliated Hospitaland College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and TechnologyLuoyang471003China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of PharmacyThe First Affiliated Hospitaland College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and TechnologyLuoyang471003China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- School of PharmacyNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210023China
| | - Shucheng Cao
- Department of Quantitative Life SciencesMcGill UniversityMontréalQuébecH3A 0G4Canada
| | - Nana Wang
- Department of PediatricsShanghai General HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200080China
| | - Yingjian Zhang
- Department of PharmacyThe First Affiliated Hospitaland College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and TechnologyLuoyang471003China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ RepairSchool of MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghai200444China
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6
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Li XY, Shi LX, Shi NN, Chen WW, Qu XW, Li QQ, Duan XJ, Li XT, Li QS. Multiple stimulus-response berberine plus baicalin micelles with particle size-charge-release triple variable properties for breast cancer therapy. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2023; 49:189-206. [PMID: 36971392 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2023.2195501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim was to develop a nanoscale drug delivery system with enzyme responsive and acid sensitive particle size and intelligent degradation aiming to research the inhibitory effect on breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE The delivery system addressed the problems of tissue targeting, cellular internalization, and slow drug release at the target site, which could improve the efficiency of drug delivery and provide a feasible therapeutic approach for breast cancer. METHODS The acid sensitive functional material DSPE-PEG2000-dyn-PEG-R9 was synthesized by Michael addition reaction. Then, the berberine plus baicalin intelligent micelles were prepared by thin-film hydration. Subsequently, we characterized the physical and chemical properties of berberine plus baicalin intelligent micelles, evaluated its anti-tumor effects in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS The target molecule was successfully synthesized, and the intelligent micelles showed excellent chemical and physical properties, delayed drug release and high encapsulation efficiency. In vitro and in vivo experiments also confirmed that the intelligent micelles could effectively target tumor sites, penetrate tumor tissues, enrich in tumor cells, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, inhibit tumor cell invasion and migration, and induce tumor cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION Berberine plus baicalin intelligent micelles have excellent anti-tumor effects and no toxicity to normal tissues, which provides a new potential drug delivery strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.
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7
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Dong X, Pan P, Zhang Q, Ye JJ, Zhang XZ. Engineered Living Bacteriophage-Enabled Self-Adjuvanting Hydrogel for Remodeling Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Therapy. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:1219-1228. [PMID: 36729055 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to the complexity and heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment, the efficacy of breast cancer treatment has been significantly impeded. Here, we established a living system using an engineered M13 bacteriophage through chemical cross-linking and biomineralization to remodel the tumor microenvironment. Chemically cross-linking of the engineered bacteriophage gel (M13 Gel) could in situ synthesize photothermal palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) on the pVIII capsid protein to obtain M13@Pd Gel. In addition, NLG919 was further loaded into a gel to form (M13@Pd/NLG gel) for down-regulating the expression of tryptophan metabolic enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that the M13 bacteriophage served not only as a cargo-loaded device but also as a self-immune adjuvant, which induced the immunogenic death of tumor cells effectively and down-regulated IDO1 expression. Such a bioactive gel system constructed by natural living materials could reverse immunosuppression and significantly improve the anti-breast cancer response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Dong
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400037, P.R. China
| | - Pei Pan
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Qiuling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Jing-Jie Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Xian-Zheng Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
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8
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Wu Z, Ao Z, Cai H, Li X, Chen B, Tu H, Wang Y, Lu RO, Gu M, Cheng L, Lu X, Guo F. Acoustofluidic assembly of primary tumor-derived organotypic cell clusters for rapid evaluation of cancer immunotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:40. [PMID: 36739414 PMCID: PMC9899402 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01786-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy shows promising potential for treating breast cancer. While patients may have heterogeneous treatment responses for adjuvant therapy, it is challenging to predict an individual patient's response to cancer immunotherapy. Here, we report primary tumor-derived organotypic cell clusters (POCCs) for rapid and reliable evaluation of cancer immunotherapy. By using a label-free, contactless, and highly biocompatible acoustofluidic method, hundreds of cell clusters could be assembled from patient primary breast tumor dissociation within 2 min. Through the incorporation of time-lapse living cell imaging, the POCCs could faithfully recapitulate the cancer-immune interaction dynamics as well as their response to checkpoint inhibitors. Superior to current tumor organoids that usually take more than two weeks to develop, the POCCs can be established and used for evaluation of cancer immunotherapy within 12 h. The POCCs can preserve the cell components from the primary tumor due to the short culture time. Moreover, the POCCs can be assembled with uniform fabricate size and cell composition and served as an open platform for manipulating cell composition and ratio under controlled treatment conditions with a short turnaround time. Thus, we provide a new method to identify potentially immunogenic breast tumors and test immunotherapy, promoting personalized cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuhao Wu
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Zheng Ao
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
| | - Hongwei Cai
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Honglei Tu
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Yijie Wang
- Computer Science Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47408, USA
| | - Rongze Olivia Lu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Brain Tumor Center, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, California, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Mingxia Gu
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Pulmonary Biology, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Liang Cheng
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Lifespan Academic Medical Center, and the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Feng Guo
- Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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9
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de Miguel-Jiménez A, Ebeling B, Paez JI, Fink-Straube C, Pearson S, Del Campo A. Gelation Kinetics and Mechanical Properties of Thiol-Tetrazole Methylsulfone Hydrogels Designed for Cell Encapsulation. Macromol Biosci 2023; 23:e2200419. [PMID: 36457236 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogel precursors that crosslink within minutes are essential for the development of cell encapsulation matrices and their implementation in automated systems. Such timescales allow sufficient mixing of cells and hydrogel precursors under low shear forces and the achievement of homogeneous networks and cell distributions in the 3D cell culture. The previous work showed that the thiol-tetrazole methylsulfone (TzMS) reaction crosslinks star-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels within minutes at around physiological pH and can be accelerated or slowed down with small pH changes. The resulting hydrogels are cytocompatible and stable in cell culture conditions. Here, the gelation kinetics and mechanical properties of PEG-based hydrogels formed by thiol-TzMS crosslinking as a function of buffer, crosslinker structure and degree of TzMS functionality are reported. Crosslinkers of different architecture, length and chemical nature (PEG versus peptide) are tested, and degree of TzMS functionality is modified by inclusion of RGD cell-adhesive ligand, all at concentration ranges typically used in cell culture. These studies corroborate that thiol/PEG-4TzMS hydrogels show gelation times and stiffnesses that are suitable for 3D cell encapsulation and tunable through changes in hydrogel composition. The results of this study guide formulation of encapsulating hydrogels for manual and automated 3D cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián de Miguel-Jiménez
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Chemistry Department, Saarland University, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bastian Ebeling
- Kuraray Europe GmbH, Advanced Interlayer Solutions, Competence Center for Innovation & Technology, Mülheimer Str. 26, 53840, Troisdorf, Germany
| | - Julieta I Paez
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Current address: Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Fink-Straube
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Samuel Pearson
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Aránzazu Del Campo
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Chemistry Department, Saarland University, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
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10
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Kast V, Nadernezhad A, Pette D, Gabrielyan A, Fusenig M, Honselmann KC, Stange DE, Werner C, Loessner D. A Tumor Microenvironment Model of Pancreatic Cancer to Elucidate Responses toward Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2022:e2201907. [PMID: 36417691 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202201907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating malignancy with minimal treatment options. Standard-of-care therapy, including surgery and chemotherapy, is unsatisfactory, and therapies harnessing the immune system have been unsuccessful in clinical trials. Resistance to therapy and disease progression are mediated by the tumor microenvironment, which contains excessive amounts of extracellular matrix and stromal cells, acting as a barrier to drug delivery. There is a lack of preclinical pancreatic cancer models that reconstruct the extracellular, cellular, and biomechanical elements of tumor tissues to assess responses toward immunotherapy. To address this limitation and explore the effects of immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy, a multicellular 3D cancer model using a star-shaped poly(ethylene glycol)-heparin hydrogel matrix is developed. Human pancreatic cancer cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and myeloid cells are grown encapsulated in hydrogels to mimic key components of tumor tissues, and cell responses toward treatment are assessed. Combining the CD11b agonist ADH-503 with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and chemotherapy leads to a significant reduction in tumor cell viability, proliferation, metabolic activity, immunomodulation, and secretion of immunosuppressive and tumor growth-promoting cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Kast
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ali Nadernezhad
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dagmar Pette
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anastasiia Gabrielyan
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fusenig
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kim C Honselmann
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Daniel E Stange
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Medical Faculty, Technical University Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carsten Werner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniela Loessner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V, Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
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