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Gallegos-Martínez S, Choy-Buentello D, Pérez-Álvarez KA, Lara-Mayorga IM, Aceves-Colin AE, Zhang YS, Trujillo-de Santiago G, Álvarez MM. A 3D-printed tumor-on-chip: user-friendly platform for the culture of breast cancer spheroids and the evaluation of anti-cancer drugs. Biofabrication 2024; 16:045010. [PMID: 38866003 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad5765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-on-chips (ToCs) are useful platforms for studying the physiology of tumors and evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of anti-cancer drugs. However, the design and fabrication of a ToC system is not a trivial venture. We introduce a user-friendly, flexible, 3D-printed microfluidic device that can be used to culture cancer cells or cancer-derived spheroids embedded in hydrogels under well-controlled environments. The system consists of two lateral flow compartments (left and right sides), each with two inlets and two outlets to deliver cell culture media as continuous liquid streams. The central compartment was designed to host a hydrogel in which cells and microtissues can be confined and cultured. We performed tracer experiments with colored inks and 40 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran to characterize the transport/mixing performances of the system. We also cultured homotypic (MCF7) and heterotypic (MCF7-BJ) spheroids embedded in gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels to illustrate the use of this microfluidic device in sustaining long-term micro-tissue culture experiments. We further demonstrated the use of this platform in anticancer drug testing by continuous perfusion of doxorubicin, a commonly used anti-cancer drug for breast cancer. In these experiments, we evaluated drug transport, viability, glucose consumption, cell death (apoptosis), and cytotoxicity. In summary, we introduce a robust and friendly ToC system capable of recapitulating relevant aspects of the tumor microenvironment for the study of cancer physiology, anti-cancer drug transport, efficacy, and safety. We anticipate that this flexible 3D-printed microfluidic device may facilitate cancer research and the development and screening of strategies for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Gallegos-Martínez
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, CP 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
- Departamento de Mecatrónica e Ingeniería Eléctrica, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, CP 64849, Mexico
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - David Choy-Buentello
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, CP 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Kristen Aideé Pérez-Álvarez
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, CP 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | | | | | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Grissel Trujillo-de Santiago
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, CP 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
- Departamento de Mecatrónica e Ingeniería Eléctrica, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, CP 64849, Mexico
| | - Mario Moisés Álvarez
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, CP 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
- Departamento de Mecatrónica e Ingeniería Eléctrica, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, CP 64849, Mexico
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Lee SY, Lee E, Lim JU, Ku B, Seong YJ, Ryu JO, Cho HJ, Kim K, Hwang Y, Moon SW, Moon MH, Kim KS, Hyun K, Kim TJ, Sung YE, Choi JY, Park CK, Kim SW, Yeo CD, Kim SJ, Lee DW. U-Shape Pillar Strip for 3D Cell-Lumped Organoid Model (3D-COM) Mimicking Lung Cancer Hypoxia Conditions in High-Throughput Screening (HTS). Anal Chem 2024; 96:10246-10255. [PMID: 38858132 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Hypoxia is a representative tumor characteristic associated with malignant progression in clinical patients. Engineered in vitro models have led to significant advances in cancer research, allowing for the investigation of cells in physiological environments and the study of disease mechanisms and processes with enhanced relevance. In this study, we propose a U-shape pillar strip for a 3D cell-lumped organoid model (3D-COM) to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner. We developed a U-pillar strip that facilitates the aggregation of PDCs mixed with an extracellular matrix to make the 3D-COM in 384-plate array form. The response to three hypoxia-activated prodrugs was higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture model. The protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α, which are markers of hypoxia, was also higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture. The results show that 3D-COM better recapitulated the hypoxic conditions of lung cancer tumors than the 2D culture. Therefore, the U-shape pillar strip for 3D-COM is a good tool to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner, which can efficiently develop new drugs targeting hypoxic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Yun Lee
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd, Suwon 16229, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunyoung Lee
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Uk Lim
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Bosung Ku
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd, Suwon 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jeong Seong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-O Ryu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong Jun Cho
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Postech-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Songeui Multiplex Hall, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyuhwan Kim
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Postech-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Songeui Multiplex Hall, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongki Hwang
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Postech-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Songeui Multiplex Hall, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Whan Moon
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Hyoung Moon
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Soo Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanyong Hyun
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Jung Kim
- Department of Hospital Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeoun Eun Sung
- Department of Hospital Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Young Choi
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Kwon Park
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Won Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Dong Yeo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03312, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Joon Kim
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Postech-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Songeui Multiplex Hall, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
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Ravi K, Manoharan TJM, Wang KC, Pockaj B, Nikkhah M. Engineered 3D ex vivo models to recapitulate the complex stromal and immune interactions within the tumor microenvironment. Biomaterials 2024; 305:122428. [PMID: 38147743 PMCID: PMC11098715 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Cancer thrives in a complex environment where interactions between cellular and acellular components, surrounding the tumor, play a crucial role in disease development and progression. Despite significant progress in cancer research, the mechanism driving tumor growth and therapeutic outcomes remains elusive. Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture assays and in vivo animal models are commonly used in cancer research and therapeutic testing. However, these models suffer from numerous shortcomings including lack of key features of the tumor microenvironment (TME) & cellular composition, cost, and ethical clearance. To that end, there is an increased interest in incorporating and elucidating the influence of TME on cancer progression. Advancements in 3D-engineered ex vivo models, leveraging biomaterials and microengineering technologies, have provided an unprecedented ability to reconstruct native-like bioengineered cancer models to study the heterotypic interactions of TME with a spatiotemporal organization. These bioengineered cancer models have shown excellent capabilities to bridge the gap between oversimplified 2D systems and animal models. In this review article, we primarily provide an overview of the immune and stromal cellular components of the TME and then discuss the latest state-of-the-art 3D-engineered ex vivo platforms aiming to recapitulate the complex TME features. The engineered TME model, discussed herein, are categorized into three main sections according to the cellular interactions within TME: (i) Tumor-Stromal interactions, (ii) Tumor-Immune interactions, and (iii) Complex TME interactions. Finally, we will conclude the article with a perspective on how these models can be instrumental for cancer translational studies and therapeutic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana Ravi
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | | | - Kuei-Chun Wang
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | | | - Mehdi Nikkhah
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Biodesign Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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Close DA, Johnston PA. WITHDRAWN: Detection and impact of hypoxic regions in multicellular tumor spheroid cultures formed by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells lines. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023; 29:130. [PMID: 38101574 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Close
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Paul A Johnston
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA.
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Novel Anti-Cancer Products Targeting AMPK: Natural Herbal Medicine against Breast Cancer. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 28:molecules28020740. [PMID: 36677797 PMCID: PMC9863744 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a common cancer in women worldwide. The existing clinical treatment strategies have been able to limit the progression of breast cancer and cancer metastasis, but abnormal metabolism, immunosuppression, and multidrug resistance involving multiple regulators remain the major challenges for the treatment of breast cancer. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) can regulate metabolic reprogramming and reverse the "Warburg effect" via multiple metabolic signaling pathways in breast cancer. Previous studies suggest that the activation of AMPK suppresses the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells, as well as stimulating the responses of immune cells. However, some other reports claim that the development and poor prognosis of breast cancer are related to the overexpression and aberrant activation of AMPK. Thus, the role of AMPK in the progression of breast cancer is still controversial. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of AMPK, particularly the comprehensive bidirectional functions of AMPK in cancer progression; discuss the pharmacological activators of AMPK and some specific molecules, including the natural products (including berberine, curcumin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ginsenosides, and paclitaxel) that influence the efficacy of these activators in cancer therapy; and elaborate the role of AMPK as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Freitas SC, Sanderson D, Caspani S, Magalhães R, Cortés-Llanos B, Granja A, Reis S, Belo JH, Azevedo J, Gómez-Gaviro MV, de Sousa CT. New Frontiers in Colorectal Cancer Treatment Combining Nanotechnology with Photo- and Radiotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:383. [PMID: 36672333 PMCID: PMC9856291 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Despite recent advances in the treatment of this pathology, which include a personalized approach using radio- and chemotherapies in combination with advanced surgical techniques, it is imperative to enhance the performance of these treatments and decrease their detrimental side effects on patients' health. Nanomedicine is likely the pathway towards solving this challenge by enhancing both the therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities. In particular, plasmonic nanoparticles show remarkable potential due to their dual therapeutic functionalities as photothermal therapy agents and as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. Their dual functionality, high biocompatibility, easy functionalization, and targeting capabilities make them potential agents for inducing efficient cancer cell death with minimal side effects. This review aims to identify the main challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The heterogeneous nature of this cancer is also discussed from a single-cell point of view. The most relevant works in photo- and radiotherapy using nanotechnology-based therapies for colorectal cancer are addressed, ranging from in vitro studies (2D and 3D cell cultures) to in vivo studies and clinical trials. Although the results using nanoparticles as a photo- and radiosensitizers in photo- and radiotherapy are promising, preliminary studies showed that the possibility of combining both therapies must be explored to improve the treatment efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C. Freitas
- IFIMUP-Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of University of Porto, LaPMET-Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniel Sanderson
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Doctor Esquerdo 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
| | - Sofia Caspani
- IFIMUP-Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of University of Porto, LaPMET-Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Magalhães
- IFIMUP-Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of University of Porto, LaPMET-Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Andreia Granja
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Salette Reis
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Horta Belo
- IFIMUP-Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of University of Porto, LaPMET-Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - José Azevedo
- Colorectal Surgery—Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Victoria Gómez-Gaviro
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Doctor Esquerdo 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
| | - Célia Tavares de Sousa
- IFIMUP-Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of University of Porto, LaPMET-Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM), Campus de Cantoblanco, C/ Francisco Tomas y Valiente, 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Therapeutic potential of Curcuma oil and its terpenoids in gynecological cancers. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 157:114016. [PMID: 36395609 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gynecological cancers encompass all uncontrolled and aberrant cell growth in the female reproductive system, therapeutic interventions are constantly evolving, but there is still a high death rate, significant side effects and medication resistance, making the task of treatment challenging and complex. The essential oil extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa is a promising natural drug, which has excellent biological activity on cancer cells and is to be developed as a new type of anti-gynecological tumor therapeutic agent. PURPOSE To systematically summarize the available evidence for the efficacy of Curcuma oil and its terpenoids (β-elemene, curcumol, furanodiene, and germacrone) in gynecological cancers, primarily malignancies of the reproductive system, involving ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, explain the underlying mechanisms of preventing and treating gynecological cancers, and assess the shortcomings of existing work. RESULTS Through several signaling channels, Curcuma oil and its terpenoids can not only stop the growth of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer cells, limit the formation of tumors, but also raise the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and improve the quality of life for patients. CONCLUSION It provides a preclinical basis for the efficacy of Curcuma oil as a broad-spectrum anti-tumor agent for the prevention and treatment of gynecological cancers. Even so, further efforts are still needed to improve the bioavailability of Curcuma oil and upgrade related experiments.
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Ruan Y, He L, Chen J, Wang J, Zhao S, Guo X, Xie Y, Cai Z, Shen X, Li C. Three-dimensional core-shell alginate microsphere for cancer hypoxia simulation in vitro. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1174206. [PMID: 37113672 PMCID: PMC10126516 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1174206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is one of the major causes of cancer resistance and metastasis. Currently, it is still lack of convenient ways to simulate the in vivo hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) under normoxia in vitro. In this study, based on multi-polymerized alginate, we established a three-dimensional culture system with a core-shell structure (3d-ACS), which prevents oxygen diffusion to a certain extent, thereby simulating the hypoxic TME in vivo. The cell activity, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) expression, drug resistance, and the related gene and protein changes of the gastric cancer (GC) cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that the GC cells formed organoid-like structures in the 3d-ACS and manifested more aggressive growth and decreased drug responses. Our study provides an accessible hypoxia platform in the laboratory with moderate configuration and it may be applied in studies of the hypoxia-induced drug resistances and other preclinical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejiao Ruan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lingyun He
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiamin Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shujing Zhao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Guo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yao Xie
- Beijing Automation Control Equipment Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhai Cai
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenzhai Cai, ; Xian Shen, ; Chao Li,
| | - Xian Shen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenzhai Cai, ; Xian Shen, ; Chao Li,
| | - Chao Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenzhai Cai, ; Xian Shen, ; Chao Li,
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Aggarwal V, Sahoo S, Donnenberg VS, Chakraborty P, Jolly MK, Sant S. P4HA2: A link between tumor-intrinsic hypoxia, partial EMT and collective migration. ADVANCES IN CANCER BIOLOGY - METASTASIS 2022; 5:100057. [PMID: 36187341 PMCID: PMC9517480 DOI: 10.1016/j.adcanc.2022.100057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a well-established phenomenon studied across pan-cancer types, has long been known to be a major player in driving tumor invasion and metastasis. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of partial EMT phenotypes in metastasis. Initially thought as a transitional state between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypic states, partial EMT state is now widely recognized as a key driver of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity, further accelerating tumor metastasis and therapeutic resistance. However, how tumor microenvironment regulates partial EMT phenotypes remains unclear. We have developed unique size-controlled three-dimensional microtumor models that recapitulate tumor-intrinsic hypoxia and the emergence of collectively migrating cells. In this study, we further interrogate these microtumor models to understand how tumor-intrinsic hypoxia regulates partial EMT and collective migration in hypoxic large microtumors fabricated from T47D breast cancer cells. We compared global gene expression profiles of hypoxic, migratory microtumors to that of non-hypoxic, non-migratory microtumors at early and late time-points. Using our microtumor models, we identified unique gene signatures for tumor-intrinsic hypoxia (early versus late), partial EMT and migration (pre-migratory versus migratory phenotype). Through differential gene expression analysis between the microtumor models with an overlap of hypoxia, partial EMT and migration signatures, we identified prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit 2 (P4HA2), a hypoxia responsive gene, as a central regulator common to hypoxia, partial EMT and collective migration. Further, the inhibition of P4HA2 significantly blocked collective migration in hypoxic microtumors. Thus, using the integrated computational-experimental analysis, we identify the key role of P4HA2 in tumor-intrinsic hypoxia-driven partial EMT and collective migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Vera S. Donnenberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Shilpa Sant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author. University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Bioengineering UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, 7408 Salk Hall, 3501 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA. (S. Sant)
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10
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Li H, Liu H, Chen K. Living biobank-based cancer organoids: prospects and challenges in cancer research. Cancer Biol Med 2022; 19:j.issn.2095-3941.2021.0621. [PMID: 35856555 PMCID: PMC9334762 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2021.0621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biobanks bridge the gap between basic and translational research. Traditional cancer biobanks typically contain normal and tumor tissues, and matched blood. However, biospecimens in traditional biobanks are usually nonrenewable. In recent years, increased interest has focused on establishing living biobanks, including organoid biobanks, for the collection and storage of viable and functional tissues for long periods of time. The organoid model is based on a 3D in vitro cell culture system, is highly similar to primary tissues and organs in vivo, and can recapitulate the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of target organs. Publications on cancer organoids have recently increased, and many types of cancer organoids have been used for modeling cancer processes, as well as for drug discovery and screening. On the basis of the current research status, more exploration of cancer organoids through technical advancements is required to improve reproducibility and scalability. Moreover, given the natural characteristics of organoids, greater attention must be paid to ethical considerations. Here, we summarize recent advances in cancer organoid biobanking research, encompassing rectal, gastric, pancreatic, breast, and glioblastoma cancers. Living cancer biobanks that contain cancerous tissues and matched organoids with different genetic backgrounds, subtypes, and individualized characteristics will eventually contribute to the understanding of cancer and ultimately facilitate the development of innovative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixin Li
- Cancer Biobank, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Epidemiology of Tianjin, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Hongkun Liu
- Cancer Biobank, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Epidemiology of Tianjin, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Kexin Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Epidemiology of Tianjin, Tianjin 300060, China
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11
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Close DA, Johnston PA. Detection and impact of hypoxic regions in multicellular tumor spheroid cultures formed by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells lines. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:39-54. [PMID: 35058175 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In solid tumors like head and neck cancer (HNC), chronic and acute hypoxia have serious adverse clinical consequences including poorer overall patient prognosis, enhanced metastasis, increased genomic instability, and resistance to radiation-, chemo-, or immuno-therapies. However, cells in the two-dimensional monolayer cultures typically used for cancer drug discovery experience 20%-21% O2 levels (normoxic) which are 4-fold higher than O2 levels in normal tissues and ≥10-fold higher than in the hypoxic regions of solid tumors. The oxygen electrodes, exogenous bio-reductive markers, and increased expression of endogenous hypoxia-regulated proteins like HIF-1α generally used to mark hypoxic regions in solid tumors are impractical in large sample numbers and longitudinal studies. We used a novel homogeneous live-cell permeant HypoxiTRAK™ (HPTK) molecular probe compatible with high content imaging detection, analysis, and throughput to identify and quantify hypoxia levels in live HNC multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) cultures over time. Accumulation of fluorescence HPTK metabolite in live normoxic HNC MCTS cultures correlated with hypoxia detection by both pimonidazole and HIF-1α staining. In HNC MCTSs, hypoxic cytotoxicity ratios for the hypoxia activated prodrugs (HAP) evofosfamide and tirapazamine were much smaller than have been reported for uniformly hypoxic 2D monolayers in gas chambers, and many viable cells remained after HAP exposure. Cells in solid tumors and MCTSs experience three distinct O2 microenvironments dictated by their distances from blood vessels or MCTS surfaces, respectively; oxic, hypoxic, or intermediate levels of hypoxia. These studies support the application of more physiologically relevant in vitro 3D models that recapitulate the heterogeneous microenvironments of solid tumors for preclinical cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Close
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences1, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Paul A Johnston
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences1, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center2, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA..
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12
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Das R, Fernandez JG. Biomaterials for Mimicking and Modelling Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1379:139-170. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-04039-9_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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13
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Song K, Zu X, Du Z, Hu Z, Wang J, Li J. Diversity Models and Applications of 3D Breast Tumor-on-a-Chip. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12070814. [PMID: 34357224 PMCID: PMC8306159 DOI: 10.3390/mi12070814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Breast disease is one of the critical diseases that plague females, as is known, breast cancer has high mortality, despite significant pathophysiological progress during the past few years. Novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are needed to break the stalemate. An organ-on-chip approach is considered due to its ability to repeat the real conditions found in the body on microfluidic chips, offsetting the shortcomings of traditional 2D culture and animal tests. In recent years, the organ-on-chip approach has shown diversity, recreating the structure and functional units of the real organs/tissues. The applications were also developed rapidly from the laboratory to the industrialized market. This review focuses on breast tumor-on-a-chip approaches concerning the diversity models and applications. The models are summarized and categorized by typical biological reconstitution, considering the design and fabrication of the various breast models. The breast tumor-on-a-chip approach is a typical representative of organ chips, which are one of the precedents in the market. The applications are roughly divided into two categories: fundamental mechanism research and biological medicine. Finally, we discuss the prospect and deficiencies of the emerging technology. It has excellent prospects in all of the application fields, however there exist some deficiencies for promotion, such as the stability of the structure and function, and uniformity for quantity production.
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14
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Qiao J, Wang M, Cui M, Fang Y, Li H, Zheng C, Li Z, Xu Y, Hua H, Li D. Small-molecule probes for fluorescent detection of cellular hypoxia-related nitroreductase. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 203:114199. [PMID: 34130009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nitroreductase is a reductase that catalyzes nitro aromatic compounds to aromatic amines. It effectively reduces nitro to hydroxylamine or amino when in the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. In terms of tumor, nitroreductase is upregulated in hypoxic tumor cells, and its content is directly related to the degree of hypoxia. Therefore, effective detection of nitroreductase is important not only for the study of cellular hypoxia, but also for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors and related diseases. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in small-molecule fluorescent probes for nitroreductase detection based on different fluorescence mechanisms, with a focus on research conducted between May 2018 and December 2020. The development trends and application prospect in this rapidly developing field were also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Mingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Menghan Cui
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Yuxi Fang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Haonan Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Chao Zheng
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Zhanlin Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Yongnan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China.
| | - Huiming Hua
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China.
| | - Dahong Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China.
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3D Multicellular Stem-Like Human Breast Tumor Spheroids Enhance Tumorigenicity of Orthotopic Xenografts in Athymic Nude Rat Model. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112784. [PMID: 34205080 PMCID: PMC8199968 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes present, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). Breast CSCs can induce the formation of new blood vessels at the site of tumor growth and a develop metastatic phenotype by enhancing a stromal cell response, similar to that of the primary breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate breast cancer cells cultured in stromal stem cell factor-supplemented media to generate 3D spheroids that exhibit increased stem-like properties. These 3D stem-like spheroids reproducibly and efficiently established orthotopic breast cancer xenografts in the athymic nude rat. This approach enables a means to develop orthotopic tumors with a stem-like phenotype in a larger athymic rat rodent model of human breast cancer. Abstract Therapeutic targeting of stem cells needs to be strategically developed to control tumor growth and prevent metastatic burden successfully. Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes present, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). The development of 3D stem-like properties of human breast tumor spheroids in stem cell factor conditioned media was investigated in orthotopic xenografts for enhanced tumorgenicity in the athymic nude rat model. MCF-7, ZR-75-1, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were cultured in serum-free, stem cell factor-supplemented medium under non-adherent conditions and passaged to generate 3rd generation spheroids. The spheroids were co-cultured with fetal lung fibroblast (FLF) cells before orthotopic heterotransplantation into the mammary fat pads of athymic nude rats. Excised xenografts were assessed histologically by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry for breast cancer marker (ERB1), proliferation marker (Ki67), mitotic marker (pHH3), hypoxia marker (HIF-2α), CSC markers (CD47, CD44, CD24, and CD133), and vascularization markers (CD31, CD34). Breast cancer cells cultured in stem cell factor supplemented medium generated 3D spheroids exhibited increased stem-like characteristics. The 3D stem-like spheroids co-cultured with FLF as supporting stroma reproducibly and efficiently established orthotopic breast cancer xenografts in the athymic nude rat.
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Zeng F, Zhang Y, Han X, Zeng M, Gao Y, Weng J. Employing hypoxia characterization to predict tumour immune microenvironment, treatment sensitivity and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2775-2789. [PMID: 34093992 PMCID: PMC8134035 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypoxic microenvironment was recognized as a major driving force of the malignant phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which contributes to tumour immune microenvironment (TIM) remodeling and tumor progression. Dysregulated hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) result in treatment resistance and poor prognosis by reshaping tumor cellular activities and metabolism. Approaches to identify the relationship between hypoxia and tumor progression provided new sight for improving tumor treatment and prognosis. But, few practical tools, forecasting relationship between hypoxia, TIM, treatment sensitivity and prognosis in HCC were reported. Here, we pooled mRNA transcriptome and clinical pathology data from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and later developed a hypoxia risk model including four HRGs (DCN, DDIT4, PRKCA and NDRG1). The high-risk group displayed poor clinical characteristics, a malignant phenotype with carcinogenesis/proliferation pathways activation (MTORC1 and E2F) and immunosuppressive TIM (decreased immune cell infiltrations and upregulated immunosuppressive cytokines). Meanwhile, activated B cells, effector memory CD8 T cells and EZH2 deregulation were associated with patient’s survival, which might be the core changes of HCC hypoxia. Finally, we validated the ability of the hypoxia risk model to predict treatment sensitivity and found high hypoxia risk patients had poor responses to HCC treatment, including surgical resection, Sorafenib, Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) and immunotherapy. In conclusion, based on 4 HRGs, we developed and validated a hypoxia risk model to reflect pathological features, evaluate TIM landscape, predict treatment sensitivity and compounds specific to hypoxia signatures in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanhong Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xu Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Weng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Frazier T, Williams C, Henderson M, Duplessis T, Rogers E, Wu X, Hamel K, Martin EC, Mohiuddin O, Shaik S, Devireddy R, Rowan BG, Hayes DJ, Gimble JM. Breast Cancer Reconstruction: Design Criteria for a Humanized Microphysiological System. Tissue Eng Part A 2021; 27:479-488. [PMID: 33528293 PMCID: PMC8196546 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2020.0372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
International regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration have mandated that the scientific community develop humanized microphysiological systems (MPS) as an in vitro alternative to animal models in the near future. While the breast cancer research community has long appreciated the importance of three-dimensional growth dynamics in their experimental models, there are remaining obstacles preventing a full conversion to humanized MPS for drug discovery and pathophysiological studies. This perspective evaluates the current status of human tissue-derived cells and scaffolds as building blocks for an "idealized" breast cancer MPS based on bioengineering design principles. It considers the utility of adipose tissue as a potential source of endothelial, lymphohematopoietic, and stromal cells for the support of breast cancer epithelial cells. The relative merits of potential MPS scaffolds derived from adipose tissue, blood components, and synthetic biomaterials is evaluated relative to the current "gold standard" material, Matrigel, a murine chondrosarcoma-derived basement membrane-enriched hydrogel. The advantages and limitations of a humanized breast cancer MPS are discussed in the context of in-process and destructive read-out assays. Impact statement Regulatory authorities have highlighted microphysiological systems as an emerging tool in breast cancer research. This has been led by calls for more predictive human models and reduced animal experimentation. This perspective describes how human-derived cells, extracellular matrices, and hydrogels will provide the building blocks to create breast cancer models that accurately reflect diversity at multiple levels, that is, patient ethnicity, pathophysiology, and metabolic status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Williams
- Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Tamika Duplessis
- Department of Physical Sciences, Delgado Community College, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Emma Rogers
- Obatala Sciences, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Xiying Wu
- Obatala Sciences, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Katie Hamel
- Obatala Sciences, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Elizabeth C. Martin
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Omair Mohiuddin
- Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Shahensha Shaik
- Cell and Molecular Biology Core Laboratory, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Ram Devireddy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Brian G. Rowan
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Daniel J. Hayes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
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Ardila DC, Aggarwal V, Singh M, Chattopadhyay A, Chaparala S, Sant S. Identifying Molecular Signatures of Distinct Modes of Collective Migration in Response to the Microenvironment Using Three-Dimensional Breast Cancer Models. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061429. [PMID: 33804802 PMCID: PMC8004051 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The objective of this study was to investigate the role of two microenvironmental factors, namely, tumor-intrinsic hypoxia and secretome in inducing collective migration. We utilized three-dimensional (3D) discrete-sized microtumor models, which recapitulate hallmarks of transition of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Tumor-intrinsic hypoxia induced directional migration in large hypoxic microtumors while secretome from large microtumors induced radial migration in non-hypoxic microtumors. This highlights the emergence phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity in cancer cells in response to different microenvironmental stimuli. To unravel mechanisms underlying these two distinct modes of migration, we performed differential gene expression analysis of hypoxia- and secretome-induced migratory phenotypes using non-migratory, non-hypoxic microtumors as controls. We proposed unique gene signature sets related to tumor-intrinsic hypoxia, hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as hypoxia-induced directional migration and secretome-induced radial migration. Abstract Collective cell migration is a key feature of transition of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) among many other cancers, yet the microenvironmental factors and underlying mechanisms that trigger collective migration remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated two microenvironmental factors, tumor-intrinsic hypoxia and tumor-secreted factors (secretome), as triggers of collective migration using three-dimensional (3D) discrete-sized microtumor models that recapitulate hallmarks of DCIS-IDC transition. Interestingly, the two factors induced two distinct modes of collective migration: directional and radial migration in the 3D microtumors generated from the same breast cancer cell line model, T47D. Without external stimulus, large (600 µm) T47D microtumors exhibited tumor-intrinsic hypoxia and directional migration, while small (150 µm), non-hypoxic microtumors exhibited radial migration only when exposed to the secretome of large microtumors. To investigate the mechanisms underlying hypoxia- and secretome-induced directional vs. radial migration modes, we performed differential gene expression analysis of hypoxia- and secretome-induced migratory microtumors compared with non-hypoxic, non-migratory small microtumors as controls. We propose unique gene signature sets related to tumor-intrinsic hypoxia, hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as hypoxia-induced directional migration and secretome-induced radial migration. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed enrichment and potential interaction between hypoxia, EMT, and migration gene signatures for the hypoxia-induced directional migration. In contrast, hypoxia and EMT were not enriched in the secretome-induced radial migration, suggesting that complete EMT may not be required for radial migration. Survival analysis identified unique genes associated with low survival rate and poor prognosis in TCGA-breast invasive carcinoma dataset from our tumor-intrinsic hypoxia gene signature (CXCR4, FOXO3, LDH, NDRG1), hypoxia-induced EMT gene signature (EFEMP2, MGP), and directional migration gene signature (MAP3K3, PI3K3R3). NOS3 was common between hypoxia and migration gene signature. Survival analysis from secretome-induced radial migration identified ATM, KCNMA1 (hypoxia gene signature), and KLF4, IFITM1, EFNA1, TGFBR1 (migration gene signature) to be associated with poor survival rate. In conclusion, our unique 3D cultures with controlled microenvironments respond to different microenvironmental factors, tumor-intrinsic hypoxia, and secretome by adopting distinct collective migration modes and their gene expression analysis highlights the phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity of epithelial cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Catalina Ardila
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (D.C.A.); (V.A.); (M.S.)
| | - Vaishali Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (D.C.A.); (V.A.); (M.S.)
| | - Manjulata Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (D.C.A.); (V.A.); (M.S.)
| | - Ansuman Chattopadhyay
- Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (A.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Srilakshmi Chaparala
- Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (A.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Shilpa Sant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (D.C.A.); (V.A.); (M.S.)
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-412-6489804
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Aggarwal V, Montoya CA, Donnenberg VS, Sant S. Interplay between tumor microenvironment and partial EMT as the driver of tumor progression. iScience 2021; 24:102113. [PMID: 33659878 PMCID: PMC7892926 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionary conserved phenomenon, has been extensively studied to address the unresolved variable treatment response across therapeutic regimes in cancer subtypes. EMT has long been envisaged to regulate tumor invasion, migration, and therapeutic resistance during tumorigenesis. However, recently it has been highlighted that EMT involves an intermediate partial EMT (pEMT) phenotype, defined by incomplete loss of epithelial markers and incomplete gain of mesenchymal markers. It has been further emphasized that pEMT transition involves a spectrum of intermediate hybrid states on either side of pEMT spectrum. Emerging evidence underlines bi-directional crosstalk between tumor cells and surrounding microenvironment in acquisition of pEMT phenotype. Although much work is still ongoing to gain mechanistic insights into regulation of pEMT phenotype, it is evident that pEMT plays a critical role in tumor aggressiveness, invasion, migration, and metastasis along with therapeutic resistance. In this review, we focus on important role of tumor-intrinsic factors and tumor microenvironment in driving pEMT and emphasize that engineered controlled microenvironments are instrumental to provide mechanistic insights into pEMT biology. We also discuss the significance of pEMT in regulating hallmarks of tumor progression i.e. cell cycle regulation, collective migration, and therapeutic resistance. Although constantly evolving, current progress and momentum in the pEMT field holds promise to unravel new therapeutic targets to halt tumor progression at early stages as well as tackle the complex therapeutic resistance observed across many cancer types. Partial EMT phenotype drives key hallmarks of tumor progression Role of tumor microenvironment in pEMT phenotype via cellular signaling pathways Engineering 3D in vitro models to study pEMT phenotype Opportunities and challenges in understanding pEMT phenotype
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Catalina Ardila Montoya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vera S Donnenberg
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Shilpa Sant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, 700 Technology Drive, Room 4307, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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20
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Ziółkowska-Suchanek I. Mimicking Tumor Hypoxia in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Employing Three-Dimensional In Vitro Models. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010141. [PMID: 33445709 PMCID: PMC7828188 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is the most common microenvironment feature of lung cancer tumors, which affects cancer progression, metastasis and metabolism. Oxygen induces both proteomic and genomic changes within tumor cells, which cause many alternations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review defines current knowledge in the field of tumor hypoxia in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including biology, biomarkers, in vitro and in vivo studies and also hypoxia imaging and detection. While classic two-dimensional (2D) in vitro research models reveal some hypoxia dependent manifestations, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models more accurately replicate the hypoxic TME. In this study, a systematic review of the current NSCLC 3D models that have been able to mimic the hypoxic TME is presented. The multicellular tumor spheroid, organoids, scaffolds, microfluidic devices and 3D bioprinting currently being utilized in NSCLC hypoxia studies are reviewed. Additionally, the utilization of 3D in vitro models for exploring biological and therapeutic parameters in the future is described.
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