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Lamichhane A, Tavana H. Three-Dimensional Tumor Models to Study Cancer Stemness-Mediated Drug Resistance. Cell Mol Bioeng 2024; 17:107-119. [PMID: 38737455 PMCID: PMC11082110 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-024-00798-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Solid tumors often contain genetically different populations of cancer cells, stromal cells, various structural and soluble proteins, and other soluble signaling molecules. The American Cancer society estimated 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer deaths in the United States in 2023. A major barrier against successful treatment of cancer patients is drug resistance. Gain of stem cell-like states by cancer cells under drug pressure or due to interactions with the tumor microenvironment is a major mechanism that renders therapies ineffective. Identifying approaches to target cancer stem cells is expected to improve treatment outcomes for patients. Most of our understanding of drug resistance and the role of cancer stemness is from monolayer cell cultures. Recent advances in cell culture technologies have enabled developing sophisticated three-dimensional tumor models that facilitate mechanistic studies of cancer drug resistance. This review summarizes the role of cancer stemness in drug resistance and highlights the various tumor models that are used to discover the underlying mechanisms and test potentially novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astha Lamichhane
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 USA
| | - Hossein Tavana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 USA
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Yang J, Li Q, Zhou R, Zhou M, Lin X, Xiang Y, Xie D, Huang Y, Zhou Z. Combination of mitochondria targeting doxorubicin with Bcl-2 function-converting peptide NuBCP-9 for synergistic breast cancer metastasis inhibition. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:1336-1350. [PMID: 33443508 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb02564j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Distant organ metastasis is the main cause of death in breast cancer patients. Evidences have shown that mitochondria also play a crucial role in tumor metastasis, except for as apoptosis center. However, the treatment of tumor growth and metastasis was reported to be limited by mitochondria-associated protein Bcl-2, which are gatekeepers of apoptosis and are found to reside in mitochondria mainly. Herein, we designed a mitochondria-targeting doxorubicin delivery system as well as a mitochondrial distributed Bcl-2 function-converting peptide NuBCP-9 delivery system, which are both based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymers, to achieve a synergistic effect on tumor regression and metastasis inhibition by combination therapy. After mitochondria were damaged by mitochondria-targeting peptide-modified doxorubicin, apoptosis was effectively enhanced by mitochondrial specifically distributed NuBCP-9 peptides, which converted Bcl-2 function from anti-apoptotic to pro-apoptotic and paved the way for the development of mitochondrial impairment. The combination treatment exhibited significant damage to mitochondria, including excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), the permeabilization of mitochondrial outer membrane (MOMP), and apoptosis initiation on 4T1 breast cancer cells. Meanwhile, besides enhanced tumor growth suppression, the combination treatment also improved the inhibition of 4T1 breast cancer metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. By increasing the expression of cytochrome C and decreasing the expression of Bcl-2, metal matrix protease-9 (MMP-9) as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the combination treatment successfully decreased 84% lung metastasis. Overall, our work provided a promising strategy for metastatic cancer treatment through mitochondria-targeting anti-cancer drug delivery and combination with mitochondrial distributed Bcl-2 function-converting peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Qiuyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Rui Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Minglu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Xi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yucheng Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Dandan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Zhou Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System (Ministry of Education), West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China.
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Zhang C, Yang Z, Dong DL, Jang TS, Knowles JC, Kim HW, Jin GZ, Xuan Y. 3D culture technologies of cancer stem cells: promising ex vivo tumor models. J Tissue Eng 2020; 11:2041731420933407. [PMID: 32637062 PMCID: PMC7318804 DOI: 10.1177/2041731420933407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells have been shown to be important in tumorigenesis processes, such as tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence. As such, many three-dimensional models have been developed to establish an ex vivo microenvironment that cancer stem cells experience under in vivo conditions. Cancer stem cells propagating in three-dimensional culture systems show physiologically related signaling pathway profiles, gene expression, cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions, and drug resistance that reflect at least some of the tumor properties seen in vivo. Herein, we discussed the presently available Cancer stem cell three-dimensional culture models that use biomaterials and engineering tools and the biological implications of these models compared to the conventional ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengye Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China.,Air Force Medical Center of the Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoting Yang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Da-Long Dong
- Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Su Jang
- Department of Pre-Medical Course, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonathan C Knowles
- Division of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hae-Won Kim
- Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.,Division of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Biomaterials Science, College of Dentistry, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Guang-Zhen Jin
- Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yanhua Xuan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China.,Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
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