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Suh YJ, Li AT, Pandey M, Nordmann CS, Huang YL, Wu M. Decoding physical principles of cell migration under controlled environment using microfluidics. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 5:031302. [PMID: 39091432 PMCID: PMC11290890 DOI: 10.1063/5.0199161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Living cells can perform incredible tasks that man-made micro/nano-sized robots have not yet been able to accomplish. One example is that white blood cells can sense and move to the site of pathogen attack within minutes. The robustness and precision of cellular functions have been perfected through billions of years of evolution. In this context, we ask the question whether cells follow a set of physical principles to sense, adapt, and migrate. Microfluidics has emerged as an enabling technology for recreating well-defined cellular environment for cell migration studies, and its ability to follow single cell dynamics allows for the results to be amenable for theoretical modeling. In this review, we focus on the development of microfluidic platforms for recreating cellular biophysical (e.g., mechanical stress) and biochemical (e.g., nutrients and cytokines) environments for cell migration studies in 3D. We summarize the basic principles that cells (including bacteria, algal, and mammalian cells) use to respond to chemical gradients learned from microfluidic systems. We also discuss about novel biological insights gained from studies of cell migration under biophysical cues and the need for further quantitative studies of cell function under well-controlled biophysical environments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Joon Suh
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Alan T. Li
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Mrinal Pandey
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Cassidy S. Nordmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Yu Ling Huang
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Mingming Wu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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2
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Rahman MM, Wells G, Rantala JK, Helleday T, Muthana M, Danson SJ. In-vitro assays for immuno-oncology drug efficacy assessment and screening for personalized cancer therapy: scopes and challenges. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:821-838. [PMID: 38546609 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2336583] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, but often fail to produce desirable therapeutic outcomes in all patients. Due to the inter-patient heterogeneity and complexity of the tumor microenvironment, personalized treatment approaches are gaining demand. Researchers have long been using a range of in-vitro assays including 2D models, organoid co-cultures, and cancer-on-a-chip platforms for cancer drug screening. A comparative analysis of these assays with their suitability, high-throughput capacity, and clinical translatability is required for optimal translational use. AREAS COVERED The review summarized in-vitro platforms with their comparative advantages and limitations including construction strategies, and translational potential for immuno-oncology drug efficacy assessment. We also discussed end-point analysis strategies so that researchers can contextualize their usefulness and optimally design experiments for personalized immunotherapy efficacy prediction. EXPERT OPINION Researchers developed several in-vitro platforms that can provide information on personalized immunotherapy efficacy from different angles. Image-based assays are undoubtedly more suitable to gather a wide range of information including cellular morphology and phenotypical behaviors but need significant improvement to overcome issues including background noise, sample preparation difficulty, and long duration of experiment. More studies and clinical trials are needed to resolve these issues and validate the assays before they can be used in real-life scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Marufur Rahman
- Sheffield Ex vivo Group, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Directorate General of Health Services, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Greg Wells
- Sheffield Ex vivo Group, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Juha K Rantala
- Sheffield Ex vivo Group, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Misvik Biology Ltd, Turku, Finland
| | - Thomas Helleday
- Sheffield Ex vivo Group, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Munitta Muthana
- Nanobug Oncology Sheffield, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Sarah J Danson
- Sheffield Ex vivo Group, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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3
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Mungai RW, Hartman RJ, Jolin GE, Piskorowski KW, Billiar KL. Towards a More Objective and High-throughput Spheroid Invasion Assay Quantification Method. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.600893. [PMID: 39005385 PMCID: PMC11244881 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.600893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Multicellular spheroids embedded in 3D hydrogels are prominent in vitro models for 3D cell invasion. Yet, quantification methods for spheroid cell invasion that are high-throughput, objective and accessible are still lacking. Variations in spheroid sizes and the shapes of the cells within render it difficult to objectively assess invasion extent. The goal of this work is to develop a high-throughput quantification method of cell invasion into 3D matrices that minimizes sensitivity to initial spheroid size and cell spreading and provides precise integrative directionally-dependent metrics of invasion. By analyzing images of fluorescent cell nuclei, invasion metrics are automatically calculated at the pixel level. The initial spheroid boundary is segmented and automated calculations of the nuclear pixel distances from the initial boundary are used to compute common invasion metrics (i.e., the change in invasion area, mean distance) for the same spheroid at a later timepoint. We also introduce the area moment of inertia as an integrative metric of cell invasion that considers the invasion area as well as the pixel distances from the initial spheroid boundary. Further, we show that principal component analysis can be used to quantify the directional influence of a stimuli to invasion (e.g., due to a chemotactic gradient or contact guidance). To demonstrate the power of the analysis for cell types with different invasive potentials and the utility of this method for a variety of biological applications, the method is used to analyze the invasiveness of five different cell types. In all, implementation of this high-throughput quantification method results in consistent and objective analysis of 3D multicellular spheroid invasion. We provide the analysis code in both MATLAB and Python languages as well as a GUI for ease of use for researchers with a range of computer programming skills and for applications in a variety of biological research areas such as wound healing and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozanne W. Mungai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | | | - Grace E. Jolin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | - Kevin W. Piskorowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | - Kristen L. Billiar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
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4
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Klimovič Š, Beckerová D, Věžník J, Kabanov D, Lacina K, Jelinkova S, Gumulec J, Rotrekl V, Přibyl J. Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels with tunable mechanics improved structural and contractile properties of cells. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 159:213819. [PMID: 38430724 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cellular responses through mechanotransduction. The standard approach of in vitro culturing on plastic surfaces overlooks this phenomenon, so there is a need for biocompatible materials that exhibit adjustable mechanical and structural properties, promote cell adhesion and proliferation at low cost and for use in 2D or 3D cell cultures. This study presents a new tunable hydrogel system prepared from high-molecular hyaluronic acid (HA), Bovine serum albumin (BSA), and gelatin cross-linked using EDC/NHS. Hydrogels with Young's moduli (E) ranging from subunit to units of kilopascals were prepared by gradually increasing HA and BSA concentrations. Concentrated high-molecular HA network led to stiffer hydrogel with lower cluster size and swelling capacity. Medium and oxygen diffusion capability of all hydrogels showed they are suitable for 3D cell cultures. Mechanical and structural changes of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) on hydrogels were compared with cells on standard cultivation surfaces. Experiments showed that hydrogels have suitable mechanical and cell adhesion capabilities, resulting in structural changes of actin filaments. Lastly, applying hydrogel for a more complex HL-1 cell line revealed improved mechanical and electrophysiological contractile properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Šimon Klimovič
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Deborah Beckerová
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; ICRC, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Věžník
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Daniil Kabanov
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Lacina
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sarka Jelinkova
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jaromír Gumulec
- Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Rotrekl
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; ICRC, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Přibyl
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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5
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Pandey M, Suh YJ, Kim M, Davis HJ, Segall JE, Wu M. Mechanical compression regulates tumor spheroid invasion into a 3D collagen matrix. Phys Biol 2024; 21:036003. [PMID: 38574674 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ad3ac5] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Uncontrolled growth of tumor cells in confined spaces leads to the accumulation of compressive stress within the tumor. Although the effects of tension within 3D extracellular matrices (ECMs) on tumor growth and invasion are well established, the role of compression in tumor mechanics and invasion is largely unexplored. In this study, we modified a Transwell assay such that it provides constant compressive loads to spheroids embedded within a collagen matrix. We used microscopic imaging to follow the single cell dynamics of the cells within the spheroids, as well as invasion into the 3D ECMs. Our experimental results showed that malignant breast tumor (MDA-MB-231) and non-tumorigenic epithelial (MCF10A) spheroids responded differently to a constant compression. Cells within the malignant spheroids became more motile within the spheroids and invaded more into the ECM under compression; whereas cells within non-tumorigenic MCF10A spheroids became less motile within the spheroids and did not display apparent detachment from the spheroids under compression. These findings suggest that compression may play differential roles in healthy and pathogenic epithelial tissues and highlight the importance of tumor mechanics and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinal Pandey
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Young Joon Suh
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Minha Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 216 Stimson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Hannah Jane Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 216 Stimson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey E Segall
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, United States of America
| | - Mingming Wu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
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6
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Shu J, Deng H, Zhang Y, Wu F, He J. Cancer cell response to extrinsic and intrinsic mechanical cue: opportunities for tumor apoptosis strategies. Regen Biomater 2024; 11:rbae016. [PMID: 38476678 PMCID: PMC10932484 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbae016] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Increasing studies have revealed the importance of mechanical cues in tumor progression, invasiveness and drug resistance. During malignant transformation, changes manifest in either the mechanical properties of the tissue or the cellular ability to sense and respond to mechanical signals. The major focus of the review is the subtle correlation between mechanical cues and apoptosis in tumor cells from a mechanobiology perspective. To begin, we focus on the intracellular force, examining the mechanical properties of the cell interior, and outlining the role that the cytoskeleton and intracellular organelle-mediated intracellular forces play in tumor cell apoptosis. This article also elucidates the mechanisms by which extracellular forces guide tumor cell mechanosensing, ultimately triggering the activation of the mechanotransduction pathway and impacting tumor cell apoptosis. Finally, a comprehensive examination of the present status of the design and development of anti-cancer materials targeting mechanotransduction is presented, emphasizing the underlying design principles. Furthermore, the article underscores the need to address several unresolved inquiries to enhance our comprehension of cancer therapeutics that target mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Shu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Huan Deng
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, PR China
| | - Fang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Jing He
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
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7
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Rahman Z, Bordoloi AD, Rouhana H, Tavasso M, van der Zon G, Garbin V, Ten Dijke P, Boukany PE. Interstitial flow potentiates TGF-β/Smad-signaling activity in lung cancer spheroids in a 3D-microfluidic chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:422-433. [PMID: 38087979 PMCID: PMC10826459 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00886j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer cells use mechanotransduction pathways to convert biophysical forces to biochemical signals. However, the underlying mechanisms and functional significance of these pathways remain largely unclear. The upregulation of mechanosensitive pathways from biophysical forces such as interstitial flow (IF), leads to the activation of various cytokines, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). TGF-β promotes in part via a Smad-dependent signaling pathway the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells. The latter process is linked to increased cancer cell motility and invasion. Current research models have limited ability to investigate the combined effects of biophysical forces (such as IF) and cytokines (TGF-β) in a 3D microenvironment. We used a 3D-matrix based microfluidic platform to demonstrate the potentiating effect of IF on exogenous TGF-β induced upregulation of the Smad-signaling activity and the expression of mesenchymal marker vimentin in A549 lung cancer spheroids. To monitor this, we used stably integrated fluorescent based reporters into the A549 cancer cell genome. Our results demonstrate that IF enhances exogenous TGF-β induced Smad-signaling activity in lung cancer spheroids embedded in a matrix microenvironment. In addition, we observed an increased cell motility for A549 spheroids when exposed to IF and TGF-β. Our 3D-microfluidic model integrated with real-time imaging provides a powerful tool for investigating cancer cell signaling and motility associated with invasion characteristics in a physiologically relevant TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaid Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Ankur Deep Bordoloi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Haifa Rouhana
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Margherita Tavasso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerard van der Zon
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Valeria Garbin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pouyan E Boukany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
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8
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Lichtenberg JY, Tran S, Hwang PY. Mechanical factors driving cancer progression. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 160:61-81. [PMID: 37704291 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.06.002] [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] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental step of tumor metastasis is tumor cell migration away from the primary tumor site. One mode of migration that is essential but still understudied is collective invasion, the process by which clusters of cells move in a coordinated fashion. In recent years, there has been growing interest to understand factors regulating collective invasion, with increasing number of studies investigating the biomechanical regulation of collective invasion. In this review we discuss the dynamic relationship between tumor microenvironment cues and cell response by first covering mechanical factors in the microenvironment and second, discussing the mechanosensing pathways utilized by cells in collective clusters to dynamically respond to mechanical matrix cues. Finally, we discuss model systems that have been developed which have increased our understanding of the mechanical factors contributing to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessanne Y Lichtenberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Sydnie Tran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Priscilla Y Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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9
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Pandey M, Suh YJ, Kim M, Davis HJ, Segall JE, Wu M. Mechanical compression regulates tumor spheroid invasion into a 3D collagen matrix. ARXIV 2023:arXiv:2307.01289v1. [PMID: 37461419 PMCID: PMC10350096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Uncontrolled growth of tumor cells in confined spaces leads to the accumulation of compressive stress within the tumor. Although the effects of tension within 3D extracellular matrices on tumor growth and invasion are well established, the role of compression in tumor mechanics and invasion is largely unexplored. In this study, we modified a Transwell assay such that it provides constant compressive loads to spheroids embedded within a collagen matrix. We used microscopic imaging to follow the single cell dynamics of the cells within the spheroids, as well as invasion into the 3D extracellular matrices (EMCs). Our experimental results showed that malignant breast tumor (MDA-MB-231) and non-tumorigenic epithelial (MCF10A) spheroids responded differently to a constant compression. Cells within the malignant spheroids became more motile within the spheroids and invaded more into the ECM under compression; whereas cells within non-tumorigenic MCF10A spheroids became less motile within the spheroids and did not display apparent detachment from the spheroids under compression. These findings suggest that compression may play differential roles in healthy and pathogenic epithelial tissues and highlights the importance of tumor mechanics and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinal Pandey
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Young Joon Suh
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Minha Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, 216 Stimson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Hannah Jane Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, 216 Stimson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Jeffrey E Segall
- Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Mingming Wu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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10
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Microfabrication methods for 3D spheroids formation and their application in biomedical engineering. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-022-1327-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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11
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Tevlek A, Kecili S, Ozcelik OS, Kulah H, Tekin HC. Spheroid Engineering in Microfluidic Devices. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:3630-3649. [PMID: 36743071 PMCID: PMC9893254 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture techniques are commonly employed to investigate biophysical and biochemical cellular responses. However, these culture methods, having monolayer cells, lack cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, mimicking the cell microenvironment and multicellular organization. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture methods enable equal transportation of nutrients, gas, and growth factors among cells and their microenvironment. Therefore, 3D cultures show similar cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation properties to in vivo. A spheroid is defined as self-assembled 3D cell aggregates, and it closely mimics a cell microenvironment in vitro thanks to cell-cell/matrix interactions, which enables its use in several important applications in medical and clinical research. To fabricate a spheroid, conventional methods such as liquid overlay, hanging drop, and so forth are available. However, these labor-intensive methods result in low-throughput fabrication and uncontrollable spheroid sizes. On the other hand, microfluidic methods enable inexpensive and rapid fabrication of spheroids with high precision. Furthermore, fabricated spheroids can also be cultured in microfluidic devices for controllable cell perfusion, simulation of fluid shear effects, and mimicking of the microenvironment-like in vivo conditions. This review focuses on recent microfluidic spheroid fabrication techniques and also organ-on-a-chip applications of spheroids, which are used in different disease modeling and drug development studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atakan Tevlek
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Seren Kecili
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
| | - Ozge S. Ozcelik
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
| | - Haluk Kulah
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- The
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - H. Cumhur Tekin
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
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12
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Cheng N, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Li B, Wang H, Chen S, Zhao P, Cui J, Shen X, Zhu X, Zheng Y. Hydrogel platform capable of molecularly resolved pulling on cells for mechanotransduction. Mater Today Bio 2022; 17:100476. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Ro J, Kim J, Cho YK. Recent advances in spheroid-based microfluidic models to mimic the tumour microenvironment. Analyst 2022; 147:2023-2034. [PMID: 35485712 DOI: 10.1039/d2an00172a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) multicellular spheroid models can recapitulate the human tumour microenvironment with more accuracy than conventional cell culture models, as they include complex architectural structures and dynamic cellular interactions. Among the diverse platforms for spheroid formation, microfluidic platforms have been extensively applied to study spheroids because they can mimic the in vivo microenvironment. This review provides an overview of the advantages of 3D spheroid cultures with a summary of the recent applications for tumour microenvironment-focused cellular interactions, as well as the studies on spheroids and external stimuli. These 3D tumour spheroid-based microfluidic devices will provide a platform for a better understanding of cellular and external interactions, as well as the discovery of cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jooyoung Ro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea. .,Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, Korea
| | - Junyoung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea.
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Cho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea. .,Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, Korea
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14
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Mehta P, Rahman Z, Ten Dijke P, Boukany PE. Microfluidics meets 3D cancer cell migration. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:683-697. [PMID: 35568647 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
An early step of metastasis requires a complex and coordinated migration of invasive tumor cells into the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), which contains extracellular matrix (ECM). It is being appreciated that 3D matrix-based microfluidic models have an advantage over conventional in vitro and animal models to study tumor progression events. Recent microfluidic models have enabled recapitulation of key mechanobiological features present within the TME to investigate collective cancer cell migration and invasion. Microfluidics also allows for functional interrogation and therapeutic manipulation of specific steps to study the dynamic aspects of tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent developments in cancer cell migration and how microfluidic strategies have evolved to address the physiological complexities of the TME to visualize migration modes adapted by various tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Mehta
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Zaid Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Pouyan E Boukany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
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Azizipour N, Avazpour R, Weber MH, Sawan M, Ajji A, Rosenzweig DH. Uniform Tumor Spheroids on Surface-Optimized Microfluidic Biochips for Reproducible Drug Screening and Personalized Medicine. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:587. [PMID: 35457892 PMCID: PMC9028696 DOI: 10.3390/mi13040587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Spheroids are recognized for resembling the important characteristics of natural tumors in cancer research. However, the lack of controllability of the spheroid size, form, and density in conventional spheroid culture methods reduces the reproducibility and precision of bioassay results and the assessment of drug-dose responses in spheroids. Nonetheless, the accurate prediction of cellular responses to drug compounds is crucial for developing new efficient therapeutic agents and optimizing existing therapeutic strategies for personalized medicine. We developed a surface-optimized PDMS microfluidic biochip to produce uniform and homogenous multicellular spheroids in a reproducible manner. This platform is surface optimized with 10% bovine serum albumin (BSA) to provide cell-repellent properties. Therefore, weak cell-surface interactions lead to the promotion of cell self-aggregations and the production of compact and uniform spheroids. We used a lung cancer cell line (A549), a co-culture model of lung cancer cells (A549) with (primary human osteoblasts, and patient-derived spine metastases cells (BML, bone metastasis secondary to lung). We observed that the behavior of cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) spheroids within this biochip platform more closely reflects in vivo-like cellular responses to a chemotherapeutic drug, Doxorubicin, rather than on 24-well plates (two-dimensional (2D) model). It was also observed that the co-culture and patient-derived spheroids exhibited resistance to anti-cancer drugs more than the mono-culture spheroids. The repeatability of drug test results in this optimized platform is the hallmark of the reproducibility of uniform spheroids on a chip. This surface-optimized biochip can be a reliable platform to generate homogenous and uniform spheroids to study and monitor the tumor microenvironment and for drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Azizipour
- Institut de Génie Biomédical, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Rahi Avazpour
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Michael H Weber
- Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
- Injury, Repair and Recovery Program, Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H3H 2R9, Canada
| | - Mohamad Sawan
- Institut de Génie Biomédical, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
- Polystim Neurotech Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
- CenBRAIN Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Abdellah Ajji
- Institut de Génie Biomédical, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
- NSERC-Industry Chair, CREPEC, Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Derek H Rosenzweig
- Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
- Injury, Repair and Recovery Program, Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H3H 2R9, Canada
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16
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Li BB, Scott EY, Olafsen NE, Matthews J, Wheeler AR. Analysis of the effects of aryl hydrocarbon receptor expression on cancer cell invasion via three-dimensional microfluidic invasion assays. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:313-325. [PMID: 34904612 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00854d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that binds to xenobiotics and activates expression of response elements to metabolize these compounds. The AHR pathway has been associated with a long list of diseases including cancer; however, it is debated whether AHR is tumorigenic or tumour-inhibiting. In particular, there are contradictory reports in the literature regarding the effects of AHR expression level on metastatic breast cancer. Here we used a 3D invasion assay called cell invasion in digital microfluidic microgel systems (CIMMS) to study the effect of AHR expression on invasion. In this study, MDA-MB-231 cells with stable knockout of AHR (AHRko) showed enhanced invasive characteristics and reduced proliferation, and cells with transient overexpression of AHR showed reduced invasiveness. Overexpression of AHR with a mutation in the DNA binding domain showed no difference in invasiveness compared to control, which suggests that the changes in invasiveness are related to the expression of AHR. CIMMS also allowed for extraction of sub-populations of invaded cells for RNA sequencing experiments. A comparison of the transcriptomes of invaded subpopulations of wild-type and AHRko cells identified 1809 genes that were differentially expressed, with enriched pathways including cell cycle, proliferation, survival, immunoproteasome activation, and activation of matrix metalloproteases. In sum, the data reported here for MDA-MB-231 cells suggests some new interpretations of the discrepancy in the literature on the role of AHR in breast cancer. We propose that the unique combination of functional discrimination with transcriptome profiling provided by CIMMS will be valuable for a wide range of mechanistic invasion-biology studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu B Li
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada.
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Erica Y Scott
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada.
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Ninni E Olafsen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0317, Norway
| | - Jason Matthews
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0317, Norway
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Aaron R Wheeler
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada.
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
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17
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Beshay PE, Cortes-Medina MG, Menyhert MM, Song JW. The biophysics of cancer: emerging insights from micro- and nanoscale tools. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2022; 2:2100056. [PMID: 35156093 PMCID: PMC8827905 DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and dynamic disease that is aberrant both biologically and physically. There is growing appreciation that physical abnormalities with both cancer cells and their microenvironment that span multiple length scales are important drivers for cancer growth and metastasis. The scope of this review is to highlight the key advancements in micro- and nano-scale tools for delineating the cause and consequences of the aberrant physical properties of tumors. We focus our review on three important physical aspects of cancer: 1) solid mechanical properties, 2) fluid mechanical properties, and 3) mechanical alterations to cancer cells. Beyond posing physical barriers to the delivery of cancer therapeutics, these properties are also known to influence numerous biological processes, including cancer cell invasion and migration leading to metastasis, and response and resistance to therapy. We comment on how micro- and nanoscale tools have transformed our fundamental understanding of the physical dynamics of cancer progression and their potential for bridging towards future applications at the interface of oncology and physical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E Beshay
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | | | - Miles M Menyhert
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jonathan W Song
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
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18
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Wu Y, Zhou Y, Qin X, Liu Y. From cell spheroids to vascularized cancer organoids: Microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip models for preclinical drug evaluations. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:061503. [PMID: 34804315 PMCID: PMC8589468 DOI: 10.1063/5.0062697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Chemotherapy is one of the most effective cancer treatments. Starting from the discovery of new molecular entities, it usually takes about 10 years and 2 billion U.S. dollars to bring an effective anti-cancer drug from the benchtop to patients. Due to the physiological differences between animal models and humans, more than 90% of drug candidates failed in phase I clinical trials. Thus, a more efficient drug screening system to identify feasible compounds and pre-exclude less promising drug candidates is strongly desired. For their capability to accurately construct in vitro tumor models derived from human cells to reproduce pathological and physiological processes, microfluidic tumor chips are reliable platforms for preclinical drug screening, personalized medicine, and fundamental oncology research. This review summarizes the recent progress of the microfluidic tumor chip and highlights tumor vascularization strategies. In addition, promising imaging modalities for enhancing data acquisition and machine learning-based image analysis methods to accurately quantify the dynamics of tumor spheroids are introduced. It is believed that the microfluidic tumor chip will serve as a high-throughput, biomimetic, and multi-sensor integrated system for efficient preclinical drug evaluation in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
| | - Yuyuan Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
| | - Xiaochen Qin
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
| | - Yaling Liu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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19
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Modi U, Makwana P, Vasita R. Molecular insights of metastasis and cancer progression derived using 3D cancer spheroid co-culture in vitro platform. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2021; 168:103511. [PMID: 34740822 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The multistep metastasis process is carried out by the combinatorial effect of the stromal cells and the cancerous cells and plays vital role in the cancer progression. The scaffold/physical cues aided 3D cancer spheroid imitates the spatiotemporal organization and physiological properties of the tumor. Understanding the role of the key players in different stages of metastasis, the molecular cross-talk between the stromal cells and the cancer cells contributing in the advancement of the metastasis through 3D cancer spheroid co-culture in vitro platform is the center of discussion in the present review. This state-of-art in vitro platform utilized to study the cancer cell host defence and the role of exosomes in the cross talk leading to cancer progression has been critically examined here. 3D cancer spheroid co-culture technique is the promising next-generation in vitro approach for exploring potent treatments and personalized medicines to combat cancer metastasis leading to cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unnati Modi
- Biomaterials & Biomimetics Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Pooja Makwana
- Biomaterials & Biomimetics Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Rajesh Vasita
- Biomaterials & Biomimetics Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India.
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20
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Rasouli R, Tabrizian M. Rapid Formation of Multicellular Spheroids in Boundary-Driven Acoustic Microstreams. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2101931. [PMID: 34418307 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202101931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
3D cell spheroid culture has emerged as a more faithful recreation of cell growth environment compared to conventional 2D culture, as it can maintain tissue structures, physicochemical characteristics, and cell phenotypes. The majority of current spheroid formation methods are limited to a physical agglomeration of the desired cell type, and then relying on cell capacity to secrete extracellular matrix to form coherent spheroids. Hence, apart from being time-consuming, their success in leading to functional spheroid formation is also cell-type dependent. In this study, a boundary-driven acoustic microstreaming tool is presented that can simultaneously congregate cells and generate sturdy cell clusters through incorporating a bioadhesive such as collagen for rapid production of spheroids. The optimized mixture of type I collagen (0.42 mg mL-1 ) and methylcellulose (0.4% w/v ) accelerates the coagulation of cell-matrix as fast as 10 s while avoiding their adhesion to the device, and thereby offering easy spheroid retrieval. The versatility of the platform is shown for the production of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 spheroids, multicellular spheroids, and composite spheroids made of cells and microparticles. The ability to produce densely packed spheroids embedded within a biomimetic extracellular matrix component, along with rapid formation and easy collection of spheroids render the proposed device a step in technology development required to realize potentials of 3D constructs such as building blocks for the emerging field of bottom-up tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Rasouli
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Maryam Tabrizian
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1G1, Canada
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21
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Yahyazadeh Shourabi A, Salajeghe R, Barisam M, Kashaninejad N. A Proof-of-Concept Study Using Numerical Simulations of an Acoustic Spheroid-on-a-Chip Platform for Improving 3D Cell Culture. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:5529. [PMID: 34450968 PMCID: PMC8402086 DOI: 10.3390/s21165529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic lab-on-chip devices are widely being developed for chemical and biological studies. One of the most commonly used types of these chips is perfusion microwells for culturing multicellular spheroids. The main challenge in such systems is the formation of substantial necrotic and quiescent zones within the cultured spheroids. Herein, we propose a novel acoustofluidic integrated platform to tackle this bottleneck problem. It will be shown numerically that such an approach is a potential candidate to be implemented to enhance cell viability and shrinks necrotic and quiescent zones without the need to increase the flow rate, leading to a significant reduction in costly reagents' consumption in conventional spheroid-on-a-chip platforms. Proof-of-concept, designing procedures and numerical simulation are discussed in detail. Additionally, the effects of acoustic and hydrodynamic parameters on the cultured cells are investigated. The results show that by increasing acoustic boundary displacement amplitude (d0), the spheroid's proliferating zone enlarges greatly. Moreover, it is shown that by implementing d0 = 0.5 nm, the required flow rate to maintain the necrotic zone below 13% will be decreased 12 times compared to non-acoustic chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Yahyazadeh Shourabi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155, Iran; (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Roozbeh Salajeghe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155, Iran; (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Maryam Barisam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155, Iran; (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Navid Kashaninejad
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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22
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Collins T, Pyne E, Christensen M, Iles A, Pamme N, Pires IM. Spheroid-on-chip microfluidic technology for the evaluation of the impact of continuous flow on metastatic potential in cancer models in vitro. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:044103. [PMID: 34504636 PMCID: PMC8403013 DOI: 10.1063/5.0061373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The majority of cancer deaths are linked to tumor spread, or metastasis, but 3D in vitro metastasis models relevant to the tumor microenvironment (including interstitial fluid flow) remain an area of unmet need. Microfluidics allows us to introduce controlled flow to an in vitro cancer model to better understand the relationship between flow and metastasis. Here, we report new hybrid spheroid-on-chip in vitro models for the impact of interstitial fluid flow on cancer spread. We designed a series of reusable glass microfluidic devices to contain one spheroid in a microwell under continuous perfusion culture. Spheroids derived from established cancer cell lines were perfused with complete media at a flow rate relevant to tumor interstitial fluid flow. Spheroid viability and migratory/invasive capabilities were maintained on-chip when compared to off-chip static conditions. Importantly, using flow conditions modeled in vitro, we are the first to report flow-induced secretion of pro-metastatic factors, in this case cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin 6. In summary, we have developed a new, streamlined spheroid-on-chip in vitro model that represents a feasible in vitro alternative to conventional murine in vivo metastasis assays, including complex tumor environmental factors, such as interstitial fluid flow, extracellular matrices, and using 3D models to model nutrient and oxygen gradients. Our device, therefore, constitutes a robust alternative to in vivo early-metastasis models for determination of novel metastasis biomarkers as well as evaluation of therapeutically relevant molecular targets not possible in in vivo murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Collins
- Hypoxia and Tumour Microenvironment Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Pyne
- Hypoxia and Tumour Microenvironment Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Christensen
- Lab-on-a-Chip Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Iles
- Lab-on-a-Chip Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Pamme
- Lab-on-a-Chip Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel M. Pires
- Hypoxia and Tumour Microenvironment Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
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23
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Tumor spheroid-based microtumor models for preclinical evaluation of anticancer nanomedicines. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL INVESTIGATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40005-021-00534-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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24
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Roy U, Mugler A. Intermediate adhesion maximizes migration velocity of multicellular clusters. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:032410. [PMID: 33862697 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.032410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Collections of cells exhibit coherent migration during morphogenesis, cancer metastasis, and wound healing. In many cases, bigger clusters split, smaller subclusters collide and reassemble, and gaps continually emerge. The connections between cell-level adhesion and cluster-level dynamics, as well as the resulting consequences for cluster properties such as migration velocity, remain poorly understood. Here we investigate collective migration of one- and two-dimensional cell clusters that collectively track chemical gradients using a mechanism based on contact inhibition of locomotion. We develop both a minimal description based on the lattice gas model of statistical physics and a more realistic framework based on the cellular Potts model which captures cell shape changes and cluster rearrangement. In both cases, we find that cells have an optimal adhesion strength that maximizes cluster migration speed. The optimum negotiates a tradeoff between maintaining cell-cell contact and maintaining configurational freedom, and we identify maximal variability in the cluster aspect ratio as a revealing signature. Our results suggest a collective benefit for intermediate cell-cell adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ushasi Roy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Andrew Mugler
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
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25
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Boot RC, Koenderink GH, Boukany PE. Spheroid mechanics and implications for cell invasion. ADVANCES IN PHYSICS: X 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23746149.2021.1978316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben C. Boot
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Gijsje H. Koenderink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Pouyan E. Boukany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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26
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3D printing of tissue engineering scaffolds: a focus on vascular regeneration. Biodes Manuf 2021; 4:344-378. [PMID: 33425460 PMCID: PMC7779248 DOI: 10.1007/s42242-020-00109-0] [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] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Tissue engineering is an emerging means for resolving the problems of tissue repair and organ replacement in regenerative medicine. Insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to cells in large-scale tissues has led to the demand to prepare blood vessels. Scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches are effective methods to form new blood vessel tissues. The demand for blood vessels prompts systematic research on fabrication strategies of vascular scaffolds for tissue engineering. Recent advances in 3D printing have facilitated fabrication of vascular scaffolds, contributing to broad prospects for tissue vascularization. This review presents state of the art on modeling methods, print materials and preparation processes for fabrication of vascular scaffolds, and discusses the advantages and application fields of each method. Specially, significance and importance of scaffold-based tissue engineering for vascular regeneration are emphasized. Print materials and preparation processes are discussed in detail. And a focus is placed on preparation processes based on 3D printing technologies and traditional manufacturing technologies including casting, electrospinning, and Lego-like construction. And related studies are exemplified. Transformation of vascular scaffolds to clinical application is discussed. Also, four trends of 3D printing of tissue engineering vascular scaffolds are presented, including machine learning, near-infrared photopolymerization, 4D printing, and combination of self-assembly and 3D printing-based methods.
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27
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Wang A, Madden LA, Paunov VN. Advanced biomedical applications based on emerging 3D cell culturing platforms. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:10487-10501. [PMID: 33136103 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01658f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
It is of great value to develop reliable in vitro models for cell biology and toxicology. However, ethical issues and the decreasing number of donors restrict the further use of traditional animal models in various fields, including the emerging fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The huge gap created by the restrictions in animal models has pushed the development of the increasingly recognized three-dimensional (3D) cell culture, which enables cells to closely simulate authentic cellular behaviour such as close cell-to-cell interactions and can achieve higher functionality. Furthermore, 3D cell culturing is superior to the traditional 2D cell culture, which has obvious limitations and cannot closely mimic the structure and architecture of tissues. In this study, we review several methods used to form 3D multicellular spheroids. The extracellular microenvironment of 3D spheroids plays a role in many aspects of biological sciences, including cell signalling, cell growth, cancer cell generation, and anti-cancer drugs. More recently, they have been explored as basic construction units for tissue and organ engineering. We review this field with a focus on the previous research in different areas using spheroid models, emphasizing aqueous two-phase system (ATPS)-based techniques. Multi-cellular spheroids have great potential in the study of biological systems and can closely mimic the in vivo environment. New technologies to form and analyse spheroids such as the aqueous two-phase system and magnetic levitation are rapidly overcoming the technical limitations of spheroids and expanding their applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
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28
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Enhanced In Vitro Magnetic Cell Targeting of Doxorubicin-Loaded Magnetic Liposomes for Localized Cancer Therapy. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10112104. [PMID: 33114052 PMCID: PMC7690690 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The lack of efficient targeting strategies poses significant limitations on the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic treatments. This issue also affects drug-loaded nanocarriers, reducing nanoparticles cancer cell uptake. We report on the fabrication and in vitro characterization of doxorubicin-loaded magnetic liposomes for localized treatment of liver malignancies. Colloidal stability, superparamagnetic behavior and efficient drug loading of our formulation were demonstrated. The application of an external magnetic field guaranteed enhanced nanocarriers cell uptake under cell medium flow in correspondence of a specific area, as we reported through in vitro investigation. A numerical model was used to validate experimental data of magnetic targeting, proving the possibility of accurately describing the targeting strategy and predict liposomes accumulation under different environmental conditions. Finally, in vitro studies on HepG2 cancer cells confirmed the cytotoxicity of drug-loaded magnetic liposomes, with cell viability reduction of about 50% and 80% after 24 h and 72 h of incubation, respectively. Conversely, plain nanocarriers showed no anti-proliferative effects, confirming the formulation safety. Overall, these results demonstrated significant targeting efficiency and anticancer activity of our nanocarriers and superparamagnetic nanoparticles entrapment could envision the theranostic potential of the formulation. The proposed magnetic targeting study could represent a valid tool for pre-clinical investigation regarding the effectiveness of magnetic drug targeting.
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