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Lee SH, Kim K, Lee E, Lee K, Ahn KH, Park H, Kim Y, Shin S, Jeon SY, Hwang Y, Ahn DH, Kwon YJ, Moon SW, Moon MH, Kim KS, Hyun K, Kim TJ, Sung YE, Choi JY, Park CK, Kim SW, Yeo CD, Sohn HJ, Hyun YS, Kim TG, Ku B, Lim JU, Kim SJ. Prediction of TKI response in EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients-derived organoids using malignant pleural effusion. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:111. [PMID: 38773241 PMCID: PMC11109121 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00609-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are valuable in predicting response to cancer therapy. PDOs are ideal models for precision oncologists. However, their practical application in guiding timely clinical decisions remains challenging. This study focused on patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and employed a cancer organoid-based diagnosis reactivity prediction (CODRP)-based precision oncology platform to assess the efficacy of EGFR inhibitor treatments. CODRP was employed to evaluate EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) drug sensitivity. The results were compared to those obtained using area under the curve index. This study validated this index by testing lung cancer-derived organoids in 14 patients with lung cancer. The CODRP index-based drug sensitivity test reliably classified patient responses to EGFR-TKI treatment within a clinically suitable 10-day timeline, which aligned with clinical drug treatment responses. This approach is promising for predicting and analyzing the efficacy of anticancer, ultimately contributing to the development of a precision medicine platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hyun Lee
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, 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, 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, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungmin Lee
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Hwan Ahn
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hansom Park
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yelim Kim
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Soeun Shin
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Youl Jeon
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, 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, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hyuck Ahn
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Jun Kwon
- Translational Medicine Operations Hub, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Dudelange, Luxembourg
| | - Seok Whan Moon
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Hyoung Moon
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Soo Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanyong Hyun
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Jung Kim
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeoun Eun Sung
- Department of Hospital Pathology, 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, 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, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Won Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 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, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | - Bosung Ku
- Precision Medicine Research Institute, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd., Suwon, 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, 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, Republic of Korea.
- Postech-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Songeui Multiplex Hall, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Gayan S, Teli A, Sonawane A, Dey T. Impact of Chemotherapeutic Stress Depends on The Nature of Breast Cancer Spheroid and Induce Behavioral Plasticity to Resistant Population. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300271. [PMID: 38063815 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Cellular or tumor dormancy, identified recently as one of the main reasons behind post-therapy recurrence, can be caused by diverse reasons. Chemotherapy has recently been recognized as one of such reasons. However, in-depth studies of chemotherapy-induced dormancy are lacking due to the absence of an in vitro human-relevant model tailor-made for such a scenario. This report utilized multicellular breast cancer spheroid to create a primary platform for establishing a chemotherapy-induced dormancy model. It is observed that extreme chemotherapeutic stress affects invasive and non-invasive spheroids differently. Non-invasive spheroids exhibit more resilience and maintain viability and migrational ability, while invasive spheroids display heightened susceptibility and improved tumorigenic capacity. Heterogenous spheroids exhibit increased tumorigenic capacity while show minimal survival ability. Further probing of chemotherapeutically dormant spheroids is needed to understand the molecular mechanism and identify dormancy-related markers to achieve therapeutic success in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Gayan
- Department of Biotechnology (merged with Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Abhishek Teli
- Department of Biotechnology (merged with Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Akshay Sonawane
- Department of Biotechnology (merged with Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Tuli Dey
- Department of Biotechnology (merged with Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
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3
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Kolliopoulos V, Harley BA. Mineralized collagen scaffolds for regenerative engineering applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 86:103080. [PMID: 38402689 PMCID: PMC10947798 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Collagen is a primary constituent of the tissue extracellular matrix. As a result, collagen has been a common component of tissue engineering biomaterials, including those to promote bone regeneration or to investigate cell-material interactions in the context of bone homeostasis or disease. This review summarizes key considerations regarding current state-of-the-art design and use of collagen biomaterials for these applications. We also describe strategic opportunities for collagen biomaterials to address a new era of challenges, including immunomodulation and appropriate consideration of sex and other patient characteristics in biomaterial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Kolliopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Brendan Ac Harley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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4
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Giannitelli SM, Peluzzi V, Raniolo S, Roscilli G, Trombetta M, Mozetic P, Rainer A. On-chip recapitulation of the tumor microenvironment: A decade of progress. Biomaterials 2024; 306:122482. [PMID: 38301325 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122482] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
One of the hurdles to the development of new anticancer therapies is the lack of in vitro models which faithfully reproduce the in vivo tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the dynamic relationships between the components of the TME in a controllable, scalable, and reliable setting would indeed support the discovery of biological targets impacting cancer diagnosis and therapy. Cancer research is increasingly shifting from traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture toward three-dimensional (3D) culture models, which have been demonstrated to increase the significance and predictive value of in vitro data. In this scenario, microphysiological systems (also known as organs-on-chip) have emerged as a relevant technological platform enabling more predictive investigation of cell-cell and cell-ECM interplay in cancer, attracting a significant research effort in the last years. This review illustrates one decade of progress in the field of tumor-microenvironment-on-chip (TMOC) approaches, exploiting either cell-laden microfluidic chambers or microfluidic confined tumor spheroids to model the TME. TMOCs have been designed to recapitulate several aspects of the TME, including tumor cells, the tumor-associated stroma, the immune system, and the vascular component. Significantly, the last aspect has emerged for its pivotal role in orchestrating cellular interactions and modulating drug pharmacokinetics on-chip. A further advancement has been represented by integration of TMOCs into multi-organ microphysiological systems, with the final aim to follow the metastatic cascade to target organs and to study the effects of chemotherapies at a systemic level. We highlight that the increased degree of complexity achieved by the most advanced TMOC models has enabled scientists to shed new light on the role of microenvironmental factors in tumor progression, metastatic cascade, and response to drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Giannitelli
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - V Peluzzi
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - S Raniolo
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - G Roscilli
- Takis s.r.l., Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Trombetta
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - P Mozetic
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC), National Research Council, via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy.
| | - A Rainer
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
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5
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Yoon JH, Yoon HN, Kang HJ, Yoo H, Choi MJ, Chung JY, Seo M, Kim M, Lim SO, Kim YJ, Lee JK, Jang M. Empowering pancreatic tumor homing with augmented anti-tumor potency of CXCR2-tethered CAR-NK cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200777. [PMID: 38596297 PMCID: PMC10926211 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered natural killer (NK) cells are a promising immunotherapy for solid cancers; however, their effectiveness against pancreatic cancer is limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In particular, low NK cell infiltration poses a major obstacle that reduces cytotoxicity. The current study aimed to enhance the tumor-homing capacity of CAR-NK cells by targeting the chemokine-chemokine receptor axis between NK and pancreatic cancer cells. To this end, data from a chemokine array and The Cancer Genome Atlas pan-cancer cohort were analyzed. Pancreatic cancer cells were found to secrete high levels of ligands for C-X-C motif receptor 1 (CXCR1) and CXCR2. Subsequently, we generated anti-mesothelin CAR-NK cells incorporating CXCR1 or CXCR2 and evaluated their tumor-killing abilities in 2D cancer cell co-culture and 3D tumor-mimetic organoid models. CAR-NK cells engineered with CXCR2 demonstrated enhanced tumor killing and strong infiltration of tumor sites. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of CXCR2-augmented CAR-NK cells as a clinically relevant modality for effective pancreatic cancer treatment. By improving their infiltration and tumor-killing capabilities, these CXCR2-augmented CAR-NK cells have the potential to overcome the challenges posed by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, providing improved therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Hyeon Yoon
- Medicinal Materials Research Center, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Na Yoon
- Rare & Pediatric Cancer Branch, Division of Rare and Refractory Cancer, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Kang
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Yoo
- Medicinal Materials Research Center, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Jung Choi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Joo-Yoon Chung
- Medicinal Materials Research Center, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Minkoo Seo
- Corporate Research & Development Center, UCI Therapeutics, Seoul 04784, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Si On Lim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jun Kim
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Ku Lee
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Mihue Jang
- Medicinal Materials Research Center, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
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6
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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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7
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Roozitalab G, Abedi B, Imani S, Farghadani R, Jabbarzadeh Kaboli P. Comprehensive assessment of TECENTRIQ® and OPDIVO®: analyzing immunotherapy indications withdrawn in triple-negative breast cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024:10.1007/s10555-024-10174-x. [PMID: 38409546 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10174-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®) and nivolumab (OPDIVO®) are both immunotherapeutic indications targeting programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), respectively. These inhibitors hold promise as therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and have demonstrated encouraging results in reducing the progression and spread of tumors. However, due to their adverse effects and low response rates, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has withdrawn the approval of atezolizumab in TNBC and nivolumab in HCC treatment. The withdrawals of atezolizumab and nivolumab have raised concerns regarding their effectiveness and the ability to predict treatment responses. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the immunotherapy withdrawal of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, specifically atezolizumab for TNBC and nivolumab for HCC. This study will examine both the structural and clinical aspects. This review provides detailed insights into the structure of the PD-1 receptor and its ligands, the interactions between PD-1 and PD-L1, and their interactions with the withdrawn antibodies (atezolizumab and nivolumab) as well as PD-1 and PD-L1 modifications. In addition, this review further assesses these antibodies in the context of TNBC and HCC. It seeks to elucidate the factors that contribute to diverse responses to PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in different types of cancer and propose approaches for predicting responses, mitigating the potential risks linked to therapy withdrawals, and optimizing patient outcomes. By better understanding the mechanisms underlying responses to PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and developing strategies to predict these responses, it is possible to create more efficient treatments for TNBC and HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaal Roozitalab
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Behnaz Abedi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saber Imani
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Reyhaneh Farghadani
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
| | - Parham Jabbarzadeh Kaboli
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Center for Cancer Biology, Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 406, Taiwan.
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8
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Kim H, Kim S, Lim H, Chung AJ. Expanding CAR-T cell immunotherapy horizons through microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1088-1120. [PMID: 38174732 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00622k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, particularly in hematological malignancies. However, their application to solid tumors is limited, and they face challenges in safety, scalability, and cost. To enhance current CAR-T cell therapies, the integration of microfluidic technologies, harnessing their inherent advantages, such as reduced sample consumption, simplicity in operation, cost-effectiveness, automation, and high scalability, has emerged as a powerful solution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the step-by-step manufacturing process of CAR-T cells, identifies existing difficulties at each production stage, and discusses the successful implementation of microfluidics and related technologies in addressing these challenges. Furthermore, this review investigates the potential of microfluidics-based methodologies in advancing cell-based therapy across various applications, including solid tumors, next-generation CAR constructs, T-cell receptors, and the development of allogeneic "off-the-shelf" CAR products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyelee Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Suyeon Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyunjung Lim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Aram J Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health (PPH), Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- MxT Biotech, 04785 Seoul, Republic of Korea
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9
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Xu H, Jia Z, Liu F, Li J, Huang Y, Jiang Y, Pu P, Shang T, Tang P, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Su J, Liu J. Biomarkers and experimental models for cancer immunology investigation. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e437. [PMID: 38045830 PMCID: PMC10693314 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.437] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid advancement of tumor immunotherapies poses challenges for the tools used in cancer immunology research, highlighting the need for highly effective biomarkers and reproducible experimental models. Current immunotherapy biomarkers encompass surface protein markers such as PD-L1, genetic features such as microsatellite instability, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and biomarkers in liquid biopsy such as circulating tumor DNAs. Experimental models, ranging from 3D in vitro cultures (spheroids, submerged models, air-liquid interface models, organ-on-a-chips) to advanced 3D bioprinting techniques, have emerged as valuable platforms for cancer immunology investigations and immunotherapy biomarker research. By preserving native immune components or coculturing with exogenous immune cells, these models replicate the tumor microenvironment in vitro. Animal models like syngeneic models, genetically engineered models, and patient-derived xenografts provide opportunities to study in vivo tumor-immune interactions. Humanized animal models further enable the simulation of the human-specific tumor microenvironment. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages, limitations, and prospects of different biomarkers and experimental models, specifically focusing on the role of biomarkers in predicting immunotherapy outcomes and the ability of experimental models to replicate the tumor microenvironment. By integrating cutting-edge biomarkers and experimental models, this review serves as a valuable resource for accessing the forefront of cancer immunology investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Ziqi Jia
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Fengshuo Liu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jiayi Li
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yansong Huang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yiwen Jiang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengming Pu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Tongxuan Shang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengrui Tang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yongxin Zhou
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yufan Yang
- School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Oujiang LaboratoryZhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain HealthWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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10
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Lee SY, Hwang HJ, Song YJ, Lee D, Ku B, Sa JK, Lee DW. 3D cell subculturing pillar dish for pharmacogenetic analysis and high-throughput screening. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100793. [PMID: 37766900 PMCID: PMC10520358 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100793] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A pillar dishe for subculture of 3D cultured cells on hydrogel spots (Matrigel and alginate) have been developed. Cells cultured in 3D in an extracellular matrix (ECM) can retain their intrinsic properties, but cells cultured in 2D lose their intrinsic properties as the cells stick to the bottom of the well. Previously, cells and ECM spots were dispensed on a conventional culture dish for 3D cultivation. However, as the spot shape and location depended on user handling, pillars were added to the dish to realize uniform spot shape and stable subculture, supporting 3D cell culture-based high-throughput screening (HTS). Matrigel and alginate were used as ECMs during 6-passage subculture. The growth rate of lung cancer cell (A549) was higher on Matrigel than on alginate. Cancer cell was subcultured in three dimensions in the proposed pillar dish and used for drug screening and differential gene expression analysis. Interestingly, stemness markers, which are unique characteristics of lung cancer cells inducing drug resistance, were upregulated in 3D-subcultured cells compared with those in 2D-subcultured cells. Additionally, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, VEGFR1/2, and Wnt pathways, which are promising therapeutic targets for lung cancer, were activated, showing high drug sensitivity under 3D-HTS using the 3D-subcultured cells.
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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
| | - Hyun Ju Hwang
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd, Suwon, 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - You Jin Song
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Dayoung Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Bosung Ku
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd, Suwon, 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - Jason K. Sa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, Republic of Korea
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11
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Chernyavska M, Masoudnia M, Valerius T, Verdurmen WPR. Organ-on-a-chip models for development of cancer immunotherapies. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3971-3983. [PMID: 37923890 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03572-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach in the treatment of diverse cancer types. However, the development of novel immunotherapeutic agents faces persistent challenges due to poor translation from preclinical to clinical stages. To address these challenges, the integration of microfluidic models in research efforts has recently gained traction, bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo systems. This approach enables modeling of the complex human tumor microenvironment and interrogation of cancer-immune interactions. In this review, we analyze the current and potential applications of microfluidic tumor models in cancer immunotherapy development. We will first highlight current trends in the immunooncology landscape. Subsequently, we will discuss recent examples of microfluidic models applied to investigate mechanisms of immune-cancer interactions and for developing and screening cancer immunotherapies in vitro. First steps toward their validation for predicting human in vivo outcomes are discussed. Finally, promising opportunities that microfluidic tumor models offer are highlighted considering their advantages and current limitations, and we suggest possible next steps toward their implementation and integration into the immunooncology drug development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chernyavska
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Masoudnia
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T Valerius
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University, Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - W P R Verdurmen
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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12
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Shao L, González-Cardenete MA, Prieto-Garcia JM. In Vitro Cytotoxic Effects of Ferruginol Analogues in Sk-MEL28 Human Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16322. [PMID: 38003511 PMCID: PMC10671721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216322] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferruginol is a promising abietane-type antitumor diterpene able to induce apoptosis in SK-Mel-28 human malignant melanoma. We aim to increase this activity by testing the effect of a small library of ferruginol analogues. After a screening of their antiproliferative activity (SRB staining, 48 h) on SK-Mel-28 cells the analogue 18-aminoferruginol (GI50 ≈ 10 µM) was further selected for mechanistic studies including induction of apoptosis (DAPI staining, p < 0.001), changes in cell morphology associated with the treatment (cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing), induction of caspase-3/7 activity (2.5 at 48 h, 6.5 at 72 h; p < 0.0001), changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential (not significant) and in vitro effects on cell migration and cell invasion (Transwell assays, not significant). The results were compared to those of the parent molecule (ferruginol, GI50 ≈ 50 µM, depolarisation of mitochondrial membrane p < 0.01 at 72 h; no caspases 3/7 activation) and paclitaxel (GI50 ≈ 10 nM; caspases 3/7 activation p < 0.0001) as a reference drug. Computational studies of the antiproliferative activity of 18-aminoferruginol show a consistent improvement in the activity over ferruginol across a vast majority of cancer cells in the NCI60 panel. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that the derivatisation of ferruginol into 18-aminoferruginol increases its antiproliferative activity five times in SK-MEL-28 cells and changes the apoptotic mechanism of its parent molecule, ferruginol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luying Shao
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, UK;
| | - Miguel A. González-Cardenete
- Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Jose M. Prieto-Garcia
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, UK;
- Centre for Natural Products Discovery, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 5UX, UK
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13
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Zhao R, Yanamandra AK, Qu B. A high-throughput 3D kinetic killing assay. Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2350505. [PMID: 37501396 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Our work presents a high-throughput kinetic killing assay in the 3D matrix using high-content imaging that is a robust and powerful cytotoxicity assay for evaluating the killing efficiency of immune killer cells or conducting drug screening under physiologically and pathologically relevant scenarios, particularly in the context of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renping Zhao
- Department of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Archana K Yanamandra
- Department of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
- INM-Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bin Qu
- Department of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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14
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Batalha S, Gomes CM, Brito C. Immune microenvironment dynamics of HER2 overexpressing breast cancer under dual anti-HER2 blockade. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1267621. [PMID: 38022643 PMCID: PMC10643871 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The clinical prognosis of the HER2-overexpressing (HER2-OE) subtype of breast cancer (BC) is influenced by the immune infiltrate of the tumor. Specifically, monocytic cells, which are promoters of pro-tumoral immunosuppression, and NK cells, whose basal cytotoxic function may be enhanced with therapeutic antibodies. One of the standards of care for HER2+ BC patients includes the combination of the anti-HER2 antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab. This dual combination was a breakthrough against trastuzumab resistance; however, this regimen does not yield complete clinical benefit for a large fraction of patients. Further therapy refinement is still hampered by the lack of knowledge on the immune mechanism of action of this antibody-based dual HER2 blockade. Methods To explore how the dual antibody challenge influences the phenotype and function of immune cells infiltrating the HER2-OE BC microenvironment, we developed in vitro 3D heterotypic cell models of this subtype. The models comprised aggregates of HER2+ BC cell lines and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cells were co-encapsulated in a chemically inert alginate hydrogel and maintained in agitation-based culture system for up to 7 days. Results The 3D models of the HER2-OE immune microenvironment retained original BC molecular features; the preservation of the NK cell compartment was achieved upon optimization of culture time and cytokine supplementation. Challenging the models with the standard-of-care combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab resulted in enhanced immune cytotoxicity compared with trastuzumab alone. Features of the response to therapy within the immune tumor microenvironment were recapitulated, including induction of an immune effector state with NK cell activation, enhanced cell apoptosis and decline of immunosuppressive PD-L1+ immune cells. Conclusions This work presents a unique human 3D model for the study of immune effects of anti-HER2 biologicals, which can be used to test novel therapy regimens and improve anti-tumor immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Batalha
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina Monteiro Gomes
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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15
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Kim HA, Kim H, Nam MK, Park JK, Lee MY, Chung S, Lee KM, Kuh HJ. Suppression of the antitumoral activity of natural killer cells under indirect coculture with cancer-associated fibroblasts in a pancreatic TIME-on-chip model. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:219. [PMID: 37759302 PMCID: PMC10536815 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03064-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, natural killer (NK) cells emerged as a treatment option for various solid tumors. However, the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) can reduce the cytotoxic ability of NK cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer-associated fibroblasts within the tumor stroma can suppress immune surveillance by dysregulating factors involved in the cellular activity of NK cells. Herein, the effect of activated pancreatic stellate cells (aPSCs) on NK cell-mediated anticancer efficacy under three-dimensional (3D) coculture conditions was investigated. METHODS 3D cocultures of PANC-1 tumor spheroids (TSs) with aPSCs and NK-92 cells in a collagen matrix were optimized to identify the occurring cellular interactions and differential cytokine profiles in conditioned media using microchannel chips. PANC-1 TSs and aPSCs were indirectly cocultured, whereas NK-92 cells were allowed to infiltrate the TS channel using convective medium flow. RESULTS Coculture with aPSCs promoted PANC-1 TSs growth and suppressed the antitumor cytotoxic effects of NK-92 cells. Mutual inhibition of cellular activity without compromising migration ability was observed between aPSCs and NK-92 cells. Moreover, the reduced killing activity of NK-92 cells was found to be related with reduced granzyme B expression in NK cells. CONCLUSIONS Herein, a novel TIME-on-chip model based on the coculture of PANC-1 TSs, aPSCs, and NK-92 cells was described. This model may be useful for studying the detailed mechanisms underlying NK cells dysregulation and for exploring future therapeutic interventions to restore NK cell activity in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Ah Kim
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Graduate School, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunsoo Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Kyung Nam
- Cancer Evolution Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Kook Park
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252 Republic of Korea
| | - Moo-Yeal Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, 3940 North Elm Street, Denton, TX 76207 USA
| | - Seok Chung
- School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Mi Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jeong Kuh
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Graduate School, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Evolution Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Life Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-ku, Seoul, 06591 Republic of Korea
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16
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Beelen NA, Aberle MR, Bruno V, Olde Damink SWM, Bos GMJ, Rensen SS, Wieten L. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity-inducing antibodies enhance the natural killer cell anti-cancer response against patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoids. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133796. [PMID: 37520563 PMCID: PMC10375290 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pancreatic cancer is associated with poor prognosis, and limited treatment options are available for the majority of patients. Natural killer (NK) cells in combination with antibodies inducing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) could be a highly effective new therapeutic option in pancreatic cancer. Accurate predictive preclinical models are needed to develop successful NK cell immunotherapy. Tumor organoids, in vitro 3D organ-like structures that retain important pathophysiological characteristics of the in vivo tumor, may provide such a model. In the current study, we assessed the cytotoxic potential of adoptive NK cells against human pancreatic cancer organoids. We hypothesized that NK cell anti-tumor responses could be enhanced by including ADCC-triggering antibodies. Methods We performed cytotoxicity assays with healthy donor-derived IL-2-activated NK cells and pancreatic cancer organoids from four patients. A 3D cytotoxicity assay using live-cell-imaging was developed and enabled real-time assessment of the response. Results We show that NK cells migrate to and target pancreatic cancer organoids, resulting in an increased organoid death, compared to the no NK cell controls (reaching an average fold change from baseline of 2.1±0.8 vs 1.4±0.6). After 24-hours of co-culture, organoid 2D growth increased. Organoids from 2 out of 4 patients were sensitive to NK cells, while organoids from the other two patients were relatively resistant, indicating patient-specific heterogeneity among organoid cultures. The ADCC-inducing antibodies avelumab (anti-PD-L1) and trastuzumab (anti-HER2) increased NK cell-induced organoid cell death (reaching an average fold change from baseline of 3.5±1.0 and 4.5±1.8, respectively). Moreover, combination therapy with avelumab or trastuzumab resulted in complete disintegration of organoids. Finally, inclusion of ADCC-inducing antibodies was able to overcome resistance in NK-organoid combinations with low or no kill. Discussion These results support the use of organoids as a relevant and personalized model to study the anti-tumor response of NK cells in vitro and the potential of ADCC-inducing antibodies to enhance NK cell effector function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky A. Beelen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, Netherlands
- GROW-School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Merel R. Aberle
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Virginia Bruno
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Steven W. M. Olde Damink
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Gerard M. J. Bos
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, Netherlands
- GROW-School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sander S. Rensen
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lotte Wieten
- GROW-School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, Netherlands
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17
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Carannante V, Wiklund M, Önfelt B. In vitro models to study natural killer cell dynamics in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1135148. [PMID: 37457703 PMCID: PMC10338882 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1135148] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is revolutionizing cancer therapy. The rapid development of new immunotherapeutic strategies to treat solid tumors is posing new challenges for preclinical research, demanding novel in vitro methods to test treatments. Such methods should meet specific requirements, such as enabling the evaluation of immune cell responses like cytotoxicity or cytokine release, and infiltration into the tumor microenvironment using cancer models representative of the original disease. They should allow high-throughput and high-content analysis, to evaluate the efficacy of treatments and understand immune-evasion processes to facilitate development of new therapeutic targets. Ideally, they should be suitable for personalized immunotherapy testing, providing information for patient stratification. Consequently, the application of in vitro 3-dimensional (3D) cell culture models, such as tumor spheroids and organoids, is rapidly expanding in the immunotherapeutic field, coupled with the development of novel imaging-based techniques and -omic analysis. In this paper, we review the recent advances in the development of in vitro 3D platforms applied to natural killer (NK) cell-based cancer immunotherapy studies, highlighting the benefits and limitations of the current methods, and discuss new concepts and future directions of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Carannante
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Wiklund
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn Önfelt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Nowak J, Bentele M, Kutle I, Zimmermann K, Lühmann JL, Steinemann D, Kloess S, Koehl U, Roßberg W, Ahmed A, Schaudien D, Neubert L, Kamp JC, Kuehnel MP, Warnecke A, Schambach A, Morgan M. CAR-NK Cells Targeting HER1 (EGFR) Show Efficient Anti-Tumor Activity against Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3169. [PMID: 37370779 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: HNSCC is a highly heterogeneous and relapse-prone form of cancer. We aimed to expand the immunological tool kit against HNSCC by conducting a functional screen to generate chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK-92 cells that target HER1/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). (2) Methods: Selected CAR-NK-92 cell candidates were tested for enhanced reduction of target cells, CD107a expression and IFNγ secretion in different co-culture models. For representative HNSCC models, patient-derived primary HNSCC (pHNSCC) cell lines were generated by employing an EpCAM-sorting approach to eliminate the high percentage of non-malignant cells found. (3) Results: 2D and 3D spheroid co-culture experiments showed that anti-HER1 CAR-NK-92 cells effectively eliminated SCC cell lines and primary HNSCC (pHNSCC) cells. Co-culture of tumor models with anti-HER1 CAR-NK-92 cells led to enhanced degranulation and IFNγ secretion of NK-92 cells and apoptosis of target cells. Furthermore, remaining pHNSCC cells showed upregulated expression of putative cancer stem cell marker CD44v6. (4) Conclusions: These results highlight the promising potential of CAR-NK cell therapy in HNSCC and the likely necessity to target multiple tumor-associated antigens to reduce currently high relapse rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Nowak
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Marco Bentele
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ivana Kutle
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Katharina Zimmermann
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Doris Steinemann
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Kloess
- Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, University Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, IZI, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Willi Roßberg
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Amed Ahmed
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dirk Schaudien
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, ITEM, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Lavinia Neubert
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan-Christopher Kamp
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Mark P Kuehnel
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Athanasia Warnecke
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael Morgan
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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19
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Kutle I, Polten R, Hachenberg J, Klapdor R, Morgan M, Schambach A. Tumor Organoid and Spheroid Models for Cervical Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092518. [PMID: 37173984 PMCID: PMC10177622 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in women worldwide. Despite the global introduction of a preventive vaccine against the leading cause of cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the incidence of this malignant disease is still very high, especially in economically challenged areas. New advances in cancer therapy, especially the rapid development and application of different immunotherapy strategies, have shown promising pre-clinical and clinical results. However, mortality from advanced stages of cervical cancer remains a significant concern. Precise and thorough evaluation of potential novel anti-cancer therapies in pre-clinical phases is indispensable for efficient development of new, more successful treatment options for cancer patients. Recently, 3D tumor models have become the gold standard in pre-clinical cancer research due to their capacity to better mimic the architecture and microenvironment of tumor tissue as compared to standard two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. This review will focus on the application of spheroids and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) as tumor models to develop novel therapies against cervical cancer, with an emphasis on the immunotherapies that specifically target cancer cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Kutle
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Robert Polten
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens Hachenberg
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klapdor
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Morgan
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Mitrakas AG, Tsolou A, Didaskalou S, Karkaletsou L, Efstathiou C, Eftalitsidis E, Marmanis K, Koffa M. Applications and Advances of Multicellular Tumor Spheroids: Challenges in Their Development and Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086949. [PMID: 37108113 PMCID: PMC10138394 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research requires both in vitro and in vivo studies in order to explore disease processes or drug interactions. Foundational investigations have been performed at the cellular level using two-dimensional cultures as the gold-standard method since the early 20th century. However, three-dimensional (3D) cultures have emerged as a new tool for tissue modeling over the last few years, bridging the gap between in vitro and animal model studies. Cancer has been a worldwide challenge for the biomedical community due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Various methods have been developed to produce multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs), including scaffold-free and scaffold-based structures, which usually depend on the demands of the cells used and the related biological question. MCTSs are increasingly utilized in studies involving cancer cell metabolism and cell cycle defects. These studies produce massive amounts of data, which demand elaborate and complex tools for thorough analysis. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of several up-to-date methods used to construct MCTSs. In addition, we also present advanced methods for analyzing MCTS features. As MCTSs more closely mimic the in vivo tumor environment, compared to 2D monolayers, they can evolve to be an appealing model for in vitro tumor biology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achilleas G Mitrakas
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Avgi Tsolou
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Stylianos Didaskalou
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Lito Karkaletsou
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Christos Efstathiou
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Evgenios Eftalitsidis
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Marmanis
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Maria Koffa
- Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
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MUG CCArly: A Novel Autologous 3D Cholangiocarcinoma Model Presents an Increased Angiogenic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061757. [PMID: 36980644 PMCID: PMC10046314 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are characterized by their desmoplastic and hypervascularized tumor microenvironment (TME), which is mainly composed of tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs play a pivotal role in general and CCA tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and the development of treatment resistance. To our knowledge, no continuous human in vivo-like co-culture model is available for research. Therefore, we aimed to establish a new model system (called MUG CCArly) that mimics the desmoplastic microenvironment typically seen in CCA. Proteomic data comparing the new CCA tumor cell line with our co-culture tumor model (CCTM) indicated a higher gene expression correlation of the CCTM with physiological CCA characteristics. A pro-angiogenic TME that is typically observed in CCA could also be better simulated in the CCTM group. Further analysis of secreted proteins revealed CAFs to be the main source of these angiogenic factors. Our CCTM MUG CCArly represents a new, reproducible, and easy-to-handle 3D CCA model for preclinical studies focusing on CCA-stromal crosstalk, tumor angiogenesis, and invasion, as well as the immunosuppressive microenvironment and the involvement of CAFs in the way that drug resistance develops.
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22
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Jun HR, Kang HJ, Ju SH, Kim JE, Jeon SY, Ku B, Lee JJ, Kim M, Kim MJ, Choi JJ, Noh JJ, Kim HS, Lee JW, Lee JK, Lee DW. High-throughput organo-on-pillar (high-TOP) array system for three-dimensional ex vivo drug testing. Biomaterials 2023; 296:122087. [PMID: 36924663 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of organoid culture technologies has triggered industrial interest in ex vivo drug test-guided clinical response prediction for precision cancer therapy. The three-dimensional culture encapsulated with basement membrane (BM) components is extremely important in establishing ex vivo organoids and drug sensitivity tests because the BM components confer essential structures resembling tumor histopathology. Although numerous studies have demonstrated three-dimensional culture-based drug screening methods, establishing a large-scale drug-screening platform with matrix-encapsulated tumor cells is challenging because the arrangement of microspots of a matrix-cell droplet onto each well of a microwell plate is inconsistent and difficult to standardize. In addition, relatively low scales and lack of reproducibility discourage the application of three-dimensional organoid-based drug screening data for precision treatment or drug discovery. To overcome these limitations, we manufactured an automated organospotter-integrated high-throughput organo-on-pillar (high-TOP) drug-screening platform. Our system is compatible with various extracellular matrices, including BM extract, Matrigel, collagen, and hydrogel. In addition, it can be readily utilized for high-content analyses by simply exchanging the bottom plates without disrupting the domes. Our system demonstrated considerable robustness, consistency, reproducibility, and biological relevancy in three-dimensional drug sensitivity analyses using Matrigel-encapsulated ovarian cancer cell lines. We also demonstrated proof-of-concept cases representing the clinical feasibility of high-TOP-assisted ex vivo drug tests linked to clinical chemo-response in ovarian cancer patients. In conclusion, our platform provides an automated and standardized method for ex vivo drug-sensitivity-guided clinical response prediction, suggesting effective chemotherapy regimens for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Ryeong Jun
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd. Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Kang
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Hun Ju
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd. Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jung Eun Kim
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd. Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sang Youl Jeon
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd. Suwon, South Korea
| | - Bosung Ku
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd. Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jae Jun Lee
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minsung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Min Jeong Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Joo Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joseph J Noh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Soo Kim
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Won Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Jin-Ku Lee
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Dong Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea.
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23
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Ngan Ngo TK, Kuo CH, Tu TY. Recent advances in microfluidic-based cancer immunotherapy-on-a-chip strategies. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:011501. [PMID: 36647540 PMCID: PMC9840534 DOI: 10.1063/5.0108792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite several extraordinary improvements in cancer immunotherapy, its therapeutic effectiveness against many distinct cancer types remains mostly limited and requires further study. Different microfluidic-based cancer immunotherapy-on-a-chip (ITOC) systems have been developed to help researchers replicate the tumor microenvironment and immune system. Numerous microfluidic platforms can potentially be used to perform various on-chip activities related to early clinical cancer immunotherapy processes, such as improving immune checkpoint blockade therapy, studying immune cell dynamics, evaluating cytotoxicity, and creating vaccines or organoid models from patient samples. In this review, we summarize the most recent advancements in the development of various microfluidic-based ITOC devices for cancer treatment niches and present future perspectives on microfluidic devices for immunotherapy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Ngan Ngo
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsiang Kuo
- International Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yuan Tu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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24
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Manduca N, Maccafeo E, De Maria R, Sistigu A, Musella M. 3D cancer models: One step closer to in vitro human studies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1175503. [PMID: 37114038 PMCID: PMC10126361 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1175503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is the great breakthrough in cancer treatment as it displayed prolonged progression-free survival over conventional therapies, yet, to date, in only a minority of patients. In order to broad cancer immunotherapy clinical applicability some roadblocks need to be overcome, first among all the lack of preclinical models that faithfully depict the local tumor microenvironment (TME), which is known to dramatically affect disease onset, progression and response to therapy. In this review, we provide the reader with a detailed overview of current 3D models developed to mimick the complexity and the dynamics of the TME, with a focus on understanding why the TME is a major target in anticancer therapy. We highlight the advantages and translational potentials of tumor spheroids, organoids and immune Tumor-on-a-Chip models in disease modeling and therapeutic response, while outlining pending challenges and limitations. Thinking forward, we focus on the possibility to integrate the know-hows of micro-engineers, cancer immunologists, pharmaceutical researchers and bioinformaticians to meet the needs of cancer researchers and clinicians interested in using these platforms with high fidelity for patient-tailored disease modeling and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Manduca
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ester Maccafeo
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘A. Gemelli’ - Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Sistigu
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Martina Musella, ; ; Antonella Sistigu, ;
| | - Martina Musella
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Martina Musella, ; ; Antonella Sistigu, ;
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25
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Michielon E, de Gruijl TD, Gibbs S. From simplicity to complexity in current melanoma models. Exp Dermatol 2022; 31:1818-1836. [PMID: 36103206 PMCID: PMC10092692 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recent impressive clinical success of immunotherapy against melanoma, development of primary and adaptive resistance against immune checkpoint inhibitors remains a major issue in a large number of treated patients. This highlights the need for melanoma models that replicate the tumor's intricate dynamics in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and associated immune suppression to study possible resistance mechanisms in order to improve current and test novel therapeutics. While two-dimensional melanoma cell cultures have been widely used to perform functional genomics screens in a high-throughput fashion, they are not suitable to answer more complex scientific questions. Melanoma models have also been established in a variety of experimental (humanized) animals. However, due to differences in physiology, such models do not fully represent human melanoma development. Therefore, fully human three-dimensional in vitro models mimicking melanoma cell interactions with the TME are being developed to address this need for more physiologically relevant models. Such models include melanoma organoids, spheroids, and reconstructed human melanoma-in-skin cultures. Still, while major advances have been made to complement and replace animals, these in vitro systems have yet to fully recapitulate human tumor complexity. Lastly, technical advancements have been made in the organ-on-chip field to replicate functions and microstructures of in vivo human tissues and organs. This review summarizes advancements made in understanding and treating melanoma and specifically aims to discuss the progress made towards developing melanoma models, their applications, limitations, and the advances still needed to further facilitate the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Michielon
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susan Gibbs
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Oral Cell Biology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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26
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Optimization of 3D-aggregated spheroid model (3D-ASM) for selecting high efficacy drugs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18937. [PMID: 36344810 PMCID: PMC9640609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23474-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Various three-dimensional (3D) cell culture methods have been developed to implement tumor models similar to in vivo. However, the conventional 3D cell culture method has limitations such as difficulty in using an extracellular matrix (ECM), low experimental reproducibility, complex 3D cell culture protocol, and difficulty in applying to high array plates such as 96- or 384-plates. Therefore, detailed protocols related to robust 3D-aggregated spheroid model (3D-ASM) production were optimized and proposed. A specially designed wet chamber was used to implement 3D-ASM using the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, and the conditions were established for the icing step to aggregate the cells in one place and optimized ECM gelation step. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining is mainly used to simultaneously analyze drug efficacy and changes in drug-target biomarkers. By applying the IF staining method to the 3D-ASM model, confocal microscopy imaging and 3D deconvolution image analysis were also successfully performed. Through a comparative study of drug response with conventional 2D-high throughput screening (HTS), the 3D-HTS showed a more comprehensive range of drug efficacy analyses for HCC cell lines and enabled selective drug efficacy analysis for the FDA-approved drug sorafenib. This suggests that increased drug resistance under 3D-HTS conditions does not reduce the analytical discrimination of drug efficacy, also drug efficacy can be analyzed more selectively compared to the conventional 2D-HTS assay. Therefore, the 3D-HTS-based drug efficacy analysis method using an automated 3D-cell spotter/scanner, 384-pillar plate/wet chamber, and the proposed 3D-ASM fabrication protocol is a very suitable platform for analyzing target drug efficacy in HCC cells.
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27
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Choi HS, Ahn GN, Na GS, Cha HJ, Kim DP. A Perfluoropolyether Microfluidic Device for Cell-Based Drug Screening with Accurate Quantitative Analysis. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:4577-4585. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Sun Choi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang-Noh Ahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Su Na
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Joon Cha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Pyo Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
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28
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In vitro 2D and 3D cancer models to evaluate compounds that modulate macrophage polarization. Cell Immunol 2022; 378:104574. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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29
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Marzagalli M, Pelizzoni G, Fedi A, Vitale C, Fontana F, Bruno S, Poggi A, Dondero A, Aiello M, Castriconi R, Bottino C, Scaglione S. A multi-organ-on-chip to recapitulate the infiltration and the cytotoxic activity of circulating NK cells in 3D matrix-based tumor model. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:945149. [PMID: 35957642 PMCID: PMC9358021 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.945149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of immunotherapeutic approaches strictly depends on the immune cells interaction with cancer cells. While conventional in vitro cell cultures under-represent the complexity and dynamic crosstalk of the tumor microenvironment, animal models do not allow deciphering the anti-tumor activity of the human immune system. Therefore, the development of reliable and predictive preclinical models has become crucial for the screening of immune-therapeutic approaches. We here present an organ-on-chip organ on chips (OOC)-based approach for recapitulating the immune cell Natural Killer (NK) migration under physiological fluid flow, infiltration within a 3D tumor matrix, and activation against neuroblastoma cancer cells in a humanized, fluid-dynamic environment. Circulating NK cells actively initiate a spontaneous “extravasation” process toward the physically separated tumor niche, retaining their ability to interact with matrix-embedded tumor cells, and to display a cytotoxic effect (tumor cell apoptosis). Since NK cells infiltration and phenotype is correlated with prognosis and response to immunotherapy, their phenotype is also investigated: most importantly, a clear decrease in CD16-positive NK cells within the migrated and infiltrated population is observed. The proposed immune-tumor OOC-based model represents a promising approach for faithfully recapitulating the human pathology and efficiently employing the immunotherapies testing, eventually in a personalized perspective. An immune-organ on chip to recapitulate the tumor-mediated infiltration of circulating immune cells within 3D tumor model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giorgia Pelizzoni
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Della Scienza, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Fedi
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Vitale
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Fontana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bruno
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Poggi
- Molecular Oncology and Angiogenesis Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dondero
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Castriconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristina Bottino
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Scaglione
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Silvia Scaglione,
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30
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Sandström N, Carannante V, Olofsson K, Sandoz PA, Moussaud-Lamodière EL, Seashore-Ludlow B, Van Ooijen H, Verron Q, Frisk T, Takai M, Wiklund M, Östling P, Önfelt B. Miniaturized and multiplexed high-content screening of drug and immune sensitivity in a multichambered microwell chip. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100256. [PMID: 35880015 PMCID: PMC9308168 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Here, we present a methodology based on multiplexed fluorescence screening of two- or three-dimensional cell cultures in a newly designed multichambered microwell chip, allowing direct assessment of drug or immune cell cytotoxic efficacy. We establish a framework for cell culture, formation of tumor spheroids, fluorescence labeling, and imaging of fixed or live cells at various magnifications directly in the chip together with data analysis and interpretation. The methodology is demonstrated by drug cytotoxicity screening using ovarian and non-small cell lung cancer cells and by cellular cytotoxicity screening targeting tumor spheroids of renal carcinoma and ovarian carcinoma with natural killer cells from healthy donors. The miniaturized format allowing long-term cell culture, efficient screening, and high-quality imaging of small sample volumes makes this methodology promising for individualized cytotoxicity tests for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Sandström
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Valentina Carannante
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Karl Olofsson
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Patrick A. Sandoz
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | | | - Brinton Seashore-Ludlow
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Hanna Van Ooijen
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Quentin Verron
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Thomas Frisk
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Madoka Takai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Martin Wiklund
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Päivi Östling
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Björn Önfelt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
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31
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In Vitro Human Cancer Models for Biomedical Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092284. [PMID: 35565413 PMCID: PMC9099454 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. While numerous studies have been conducted on cancer treatment, clinical treatment options for cancers are still limited. To date, animal cancer models for cancer therapeutic studies have faced multiple challenges, including inaccuracy in the representation of human cancers, high cost and ethical concerns. Therefore, lab-grown human cancer models are being developed quickly to fulfill the increasing demand for more relevant models in order to improve knowledge of human cancers and to find novel treatments. This review summarizes the development of lab-grown human cancer models for biomedical applications, including cancer therapeutic development, assessment of human tumor biology and discovery of key cancer markers. Abstract Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its incidence is steadily increasing. Although years of research have been conducted on cancer treatment, clinical treatment options for cancers are still limited. Animal cancer models have been widely used for studies of cancer therapeutics, but these models have been associated with many concerns, including inaccuracy in the representation of human cancers, high cost and ethical issues. Therefore, in vitro human cancer models are being developed quickly to fulfill the increasing demand for more relevant models in order to get a better knowledge of human cancers and to find novel treatments. This review summarizes the development of in vitro human cancer models for biomedical applications. We first review the latest development in the field by detailing various types of in vitro human cancer models, including transwell-based models, tumor spheroids, microfluidic tumor-microvascular systems and scaffold-based models. The advantages and limitations of each model, as well as their biomedical applications, are summarized, including therapeutic development, assessment of tumor cell migration, metastasis and invasion and discovery of key cancer markers. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspectives are briefly discussed.
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32
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Wang Y, Jeon H. 3D cell cultures toward quantitative high-throughput drug screening. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:569-581. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Thongsin N, Wattanapanitch M. A three-dimensional immune-oncology model for studying in vitro primary human NK cell cytotoxic activity. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264366. [PMID: 35312698 PMCID: PMC8936498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for treating several forms of cancer. Adoptive cell transfer of immune cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, provides a powerful therapeutic potential against tumor cells. In the past decades, two-dimensional (2D) tumor models have been used to investigate the effectiveness of immune cell killing. However, the 2D tumor models exhibit less structural complexity and cannot recapitulate the physiological condition of the tumor microenvironment. Thus, the effectiveness of immune cells against tumor cells using these models cannot fully be translated to clinical studies. In order to gain a deeper insight into immune cell-tumor interaction, more physiologically relevant in vivo-like three-dimensional (3D) tumor models have been developed. These 3D tumor models can mimic the dynamic cellular activities, making them a much closer representation of the in vivo tumor profiles. Here, we describe a simple and effective protocol to study the cytotoxic activity of primary human NK cells toward the 3D tumor spheroids. Our protocol includes isolation and expansion of human NK cells, labeling and formation of tumor spheroids, co-culture of NK cells and tumor spheroids, and evaluation of cytotoxic activity using a confocal microscope. This protocol is also applicable to other types of tumors and immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nontaphat Thongsin
- Research Department, Siriraj Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Methichit Wattanapanitch
- Research Department, Siriraj Center for Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- * E-mail:
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Zimmer J, Castriconi R, Scaglione S. Editorial: Recent 3D Tumor Models for Testing Immune-Mediated Therapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:798493. [PMID: 34868086 PMCID: PMC8637122 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.798493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Zimmer
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Roberta Castriconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Scaglione
- IEIIT Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Roma, Italy.,Department R&D, React4life s.r.l., Milan, Italy
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Xie H, Appelt JW, Jenkins RW. Going with the Flow: Modeling the Tumor Microenvironment Using Microfluidic Technology. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236052. [PMID: 34885161 PMCID: PMC8656483 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The clinical success of cancer immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints (e.g., PD-1, CTLA-4) has ushered in a new era of cancer therapeutics aimed at promoting antitumor immunity in hopes of offering durable clinical responses for patients with advanced, metastatic cancer. This success has also reinvigorated interest in developing tumor model systems that recapitulate key features of antitumor immune responses to complement existing in vivo tumor models. Patient-derived tumor models have emerged in recent years to facilitate study of tumor–immune dynamics. Microfluidic technology has enabled development of microphysiologic systems (MPSs) for the evaluation of the tumor microenvironment, which have shown early promise in studying tumor–immune dynamics. Further development of microfluidic-based “tumor-on-a-chip” MPSs to study tumor–immune interactions may overcome several key challenges currently facing tumor immunology. Abstract Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have led a paradigm shift in the treatment of multiple malignancies with renewed focus on the host immune system and tumor–immune dynamics. However, intrinsic and acquired resistance to immunotherapy limits patient benefits and wider application. Investigations into the mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy have demonstrated key tumor-intrinsic and tumor-extrinsic factors. Studying complex interactions with multiple cell types is necessary to understand the mechanisms of response and resistance to cancer therapies. The lack of model systems that faithfully recapitulate key features of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains a challenge for cancer researchers. Here, we review recent advances in TME models focusing on the use of microfluidic technology to study and model the TME, including the application of microfluidic technologies to study tumor–immune dynamics and response to cancer therapeutics. We also discuss the limitations of current systems and suggest future directions to utilize this technology to its highest potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Xie
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (H.X.); (J.W.A.)
| | - Jackson W. Appelt
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (H.X.); (J.W.A.)
| | - Russell W. Jenkins
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (H.X.); (J.W.A.)
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Program in Therapeutic Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +617-726-9372; Fax: +844-542-5959
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