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Kim H, Kim B, Kim SJ, Choi Y, Kim IHR, Han J, Park YG, Han YM, Park JK. Reconfigurable Hanging Drop Microarray Platform for On-Demand Preparation and Analysis of Spheroid Array. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400501. [PMID: 38817106 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400501] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
In response to the increasing demand for spheroid-based cancer research, the importance of developing integrated platforms that can simultaneously facilitate high-throughput spheroid production and multiplexed analysis is emphasized. In addition, the understanding of how the size and cellular composition of tumors directly influence their internal structures and functionalities underlines the critical need to produce spheroids of diverse sizes and compositions on a large scale. To address this rising demand, this work presents a configurable and linkable in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cell culture kit (CLiCK) for spheroids, termed CLiCK-Spheroid. This platform consists of three primary components: a hanging drop microarray (HDMA), a concave pillar microarray (CPMA), and gradient blocks. The HDMA alone produces a homogeneous spheroid array, while its combination with the gradient block enables one-step generation of a size-gradient spheroid array. Using the size-gradient spheroid arrays, the occurrence of necrotic cores based on spheroid size is demonstrated. Additionally, spheroids in a single batch can be conveniently compartmentalized and regrouped using a CPMA, enhancing the versatility of spheroid arrays and enabling multiplexed drug treatments. By combining the different assembly methods, this work has achieved high-throughput production of cell composition-gradient spheroid arrays, with noticeable variations in morphology and vascularization based on cell compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwisoo Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumsoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Jee Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Irene Hae-Rim Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Han
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Gyun Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Mahn Han
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Kyun Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for Health Science and Technology, KAIST Institutes (KI), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for NanoCentury, KAIST Institutes (KI), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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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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Fabrication of Cell Spheroids for 3D Cell Culture and Biomedical Applications. BIOCHIP JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13206-022-00086-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Vuille-Dit-Bille E, Deshmukh DV, Connolly S, Heub S, Boder-Pasche S, Dual J, Tibbitt MW, Weder G. Tools for manipulation and positioning of microtissues. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4043-4066. [PMID: 36196619 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00559j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Complex three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models are emerging as a key technology to support research areas in personalised medicine, such as drug development and regenerative medicine. Tools for manipulation and positioning of microtissues play a crucial role in the microtissue life cycle from production to end-point analysis. The ability to precisely locate microtissues can improve the efficiency and reliability of processes and investigations by reducing experimental time and by providing more controlled parameters. To achieve this goal, standardisation of the techniques is of primary importance. Compared to microtissue production, the field of microtissue manipulation and positioning is still in its infancy but is gaining increasing attention in the last few years. Techniques to position microtissues have been classified into four main categories: hydrodynamic techniques, bioprinting, substrate modification, and non-contact active forces. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the different tools for the manipulation and positioning of microtissues that have been reported to date. The working mechanism of each technique is described, and its merits and limitations are discussed. We conclude by evaluating the potential of the different approaches to support progress in personalised medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Vuille-Dit-Bille
- Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- MicroBioRobotic Systems Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dhananjay V Deshmukh
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sinéad Connolly
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Heub
- Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| | | | - Jürg Dual
- Institute for Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mark W Tibbitt
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Weder
- Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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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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Roh H, Kim H, Park JK. Construction of a Fibroblast-Associated Tumor Spheroid Model Based on a Collagen Drop Array Chip. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:bios11120506. [PMID: 34940263 PMCID: PMC8699288 DOI: 10.3390/bios11120506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Spheroid, a 3D aggregate of tumor cells in a spherical shape, has overcome the limitations of conventional 3D cell models to accurately mimic the in-vivo environment of a human body. The spheroids are cultured with other primary cells and embedded in collagen drops using hang drop plates and low-attachment well plates to construct a spheroid–hydrogel model that better mimics the cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. However, the conventional methods of culturing and embedding spheroids into ECM have several shortcomings. The procedure of transferring a single spheroid at a time by manual pipetting results in well-to-well variation and even loss or damage of the spheroid. Based on the previously introduced droplet contact-based spheroid transfer technique, we present a poly(dimethylsiloxane) and resin-based drop array chip and a pillar array chip with alignment stoppers, which enhances the alignment between the chips for uniform placement of spheroids. This method allows the facile and stable transfer of the spheroid array and even eliminates the need for a stereomicroscope while handling the cell models. The novel platform demonstrates a homogeneous and time-efficient construction and diverse analysis of an array of fibroblast-associated glioblastoma multiforme spheroids that are embedded in collagen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyewon Roh
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.R.); (H.K.)
| | - Hwisoo Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.R.); (H.K.)
| | - Je-Kyun Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.R.); (H.K.)
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-42-350-4315
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