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Rademaekers M, Johansson EO, Johansson E, Roberg K, Wiechec E. Tumor-matched and unmatched cancer associated fibroblasts exhibit differential effect on proliferation and FMOD and MMP9 gene expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells when cocultured in spheroids. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:190. [PMID: 38822309 PMCID: PMC11143562 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03388-0] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major cellular component of the tumor microenvironment and are known to affect tumor growth and response to various treatments. This study was undertaken to investigate the crosstalk between tumor-matched or unmatched CAFs and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells regarding tumor growth and treatment response. METHODS Three HNSCC cell lines (LK0412, LK0902 and LK0923), were cocultured in 2D or in 3D with their tumor-matched CAFs, site matched CAFs from other tumors or normal oral fibroblasts (NOFs). Cell proliferation was assessed as the amount of Ki67 positive cells/ spheroid area in formalin-fixed- paraffin-embedded 3D spheroids stained with Ki67 antibody. Viability after seven days of cisplatin treatment was measured with CellTiter-Glo 3D Viability Assay. The mRNA expression of CAF-associated markers (ACTA2, COL1A2, FAP, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, PDPN, POSTN and S100A4) in CAFs before and after coculture with tumor cells as well as mRNA expression of CAF-induced genes (MMP1, MMP9 and FMOD) in tumor cells separated from CAFs after co-culture was measured with RT-qPCR. The expression of selected protein biomarkers was validated with immunohistochemistry based on previous mRNA expression results. RESULTS The proliferation of the LK0412 and LK0902 tumor spheroids varied significantly when cocultured with different CAFs and NOFs as shown by Ki-67 positive cells. RT‒qPCR analysis revealed different molecular profile of the analyzed HNSCC-derived CAFs concerning the expression of CAF-associated markers. The interaction between CAFs and HNSCC cells was more pronounced after coculture with unmatched CAFs as shown by changes in mRNA expression pattern of CAF-specific markers. Additionally, the unmatched CAFs significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of MMP1, MMP9 and FMOD in tumor cells compared to tumor-matched CAFs. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that tumor-matched CAFs are unique for each tumor and affect the proliferation and the gene/protein expression of tumor cells in a distinct manner. The interaction between tumor unmatched CAFs and HNSCC cells in the tumor spheroids is associated with significant changes in the mRNA expression of CAF-specific markers and significant increases in FMOD and MMP9 in tumor cells compared to when cocultured with tumor-matched CAFs. Taken together, our results show how important the selection of CAFs is to get a reliable in vitro model that mimics the patients' tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Rademaekers
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Emil Oliver Johansson
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ellen Johansson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Karin Roberg
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Emilia Wiechec
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Jackson MR, Richards AR, Oladipupo ABA, Chahal SK, Caragher S, Chalmers AJ, Gomez-Roman N. ClonoScreen3D - A Novel 3-Dimensional Clonogenic Screening Platform for Identification of Radiosensitizers for Glioblastoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024:S0360-3016(24)00355-9. [PMID: 38493899 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor. Standard-of-care treatment comprising surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy results in median survival rates of 12 to 15 months. Molecular-targeted agents identified using conventional 2-dimensional (2D) in vitro models of GBM have failed to improve outcome in patients, rendering such models inadequate for therapeutic target identification. A previously developed 3D GBM in vitro model that recapitulates key GBM clinical features and responses to molecular therapies was investigated for utility for screening novel radiation-drug combinations using gold-standard clonogenic survival as readout. METHODS AND MATERIALS Patient-derived GBM cell lines were optimized for inclusion in a 96-well plate 3D clonogenic screening platform, ClonoScreen3D. Radiation responses of GBM cells in this system were highly reproducible and comparable to those observed in low-throughout 3D assays. The screen methodology provided quantification of candidate drug single agent activity (half maximal effective concentration or EC50) and the interaction between drug and radiation (radiation interaction ratio). RESULTS The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors talazoparib, rucaparib, and olaparib each showed a significant interaction with radiation by ClonoScreen3D and were subsequently confirmed as true radiosensitizers by full clonogenic assay. Screening a panel of DNA damage response inhibitors revealed the expected propensity of these compounds to interact significantly with radiation (13/15 compounds). A second screen assessed a panel of compounds targeting pathways identified by transcriptomic analysis and demonstrated single agent activity and a previously unreported interaction with radiation of dinaciclib and cytarabine (radiation interaction ratio 1.28 and 1.90, respectively). These compounds were validated as radiosensitizers in full clonogenic assays (sensitizer enhancement ratio 1.47 and 1.35, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The ClonoScreen3D platform was demonstrated to be a robust method to screen for single agent and radiation-drug combination activity. Using gold-standard clonogenicity, this assay is a tool for identification of radiosensitizers. We anticipate this technology will accelerate identification of novel radiation-drug combinations with genuine translational value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Jackson
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amanda R Richards
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Sandeep K Chahal
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Seamus Caragher
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachussetts, USA
| | - Anthony J Chalmers
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Natividad Gomez-Roman
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
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3
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Luca E, Zitzmann K, Bornstein S, Kugelmeier P, Beuschlein F, Nölting S, Hantel C. Three Dimensional Models of Endocrine Organs and Target Tissues Regulated by the Endocrine System. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4601. [PMID: 37760571 PMCID: PMC10526768 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184601] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immortalized cell lines originating from tumors and cultured in monolayers in vitro display consistent behavior and response, and generate reproducible results across laboratories. However, for certain endpoints, these cell lines behave quite differently from the original solid tumors. Thereby, the homogeneity of immortalized cell lines and two-dimensionality of monolayer cultures deters from the development of new therapies and translatability of results to the more complex situation in vivo. Organoids originating from tissue biopsies and spheroids from cell lines mimic the heterogeneous and multidimensional characteristics of tumor cells in 3D structures in vitro. Thus, they have the advantage of recapitulating the more complex tissue architecture of solid tumors. In this review, we discuss recent efforts in basic and preclinical cancer research to establish methods to generate organoids/spheroids and living biobanks from endocrine tissues and target organs under endocrine control while striving to achieve solutions in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edlira Luca
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Zitzmann
- Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Stefan Bornstein
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Felix Beuschlein
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Endocrine Research Unit, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Svenja Nölting
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Constanze Hantel
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Fröhlich E. The Variety of 3D Breast Cancer Models for the Study of Tumor Physiology and Drug Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087116. [PMID: 37108283 PMCID: PMC10139112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and responsible for multiple deaths worldwide. 3D cancer models enable a better representation of tumor physiology than the conventional 2D cultures. This review summarizes the important components of physiologically relevant 3D models and describes the spectrum of 3D breast cancer models, e.g., spheroids, organoids, breast cancer on a chip and bioprinted tissues. The generation of spheroids is relatively standardized and easy to perform. Microfluidic systems allow control over the environment and the inclusion of sensors and can be combined with spheroids or bioprinted models. The strength of bioprinting relies on the spatial control of the cells and the modulation of the extracellular matrix. Except for the predominant use of breast cancer cell lines, the models differ in stromal cell composition, matrices and fluid flow. Organoids are most appropriate for personalized treatment, but all technologies can mimic most aspects of breast cancer physiology. Fetal bovine serum as a culture supplement and Matrigel as a scaffold limit the reproducibility and standardization of the listed 3D models. The integration of adipocytes is needed because they possess an important role in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore Fröhlich
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria
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5
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Use of 3D Spheroid Models for the Assessment of RT Response in Head and Neck Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043763. [PMID: 36835181 PMCID: PMC9963786 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043763] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is a key player in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). The RT response, however, is variable and influenced by multiple tumoral and tumor microenvironmental factors, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and hypoxia. To investigate the biological mechanisms behind these variable responses, preclinical models are crucial. Up till now, 2D clonogenic and in vivo assays have remained the gold standard, although the popularity of 3D models is rising. In this study, we investigate the use of 3D spheroid models as a preclinical tool for radiobiological research by comparing the RT response of two HPV-positive and two HPV-negative HNC spheroid models to the RT response of their corresponding 2D and in vivo models. We demonstrate that HPV-positive spheroids keep their higher intrinsic radiosensitivity when compared to HPV-negative spheroids. A good correlation is found in the RT response between HPV-positive SCC154 and HPV-negative CAL27 spheroids and their respective xenografts. In addition, 3D spheroids are able to capture the heterogeneity of RT responses within HPV-positive and HPV-negative models. Moreover, we demonstrate the potential use of 3D spheroids in the study of the mechanisms underlying these RT responses in a spatial manner by whole-mount Ki-67 and pimonidazole staining. Overall, our results show that 3D spheroids are a promising model to assess the RT response in HNC.
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Badr-Eldin SM, Aldawsari HM, Kotta S, Deb PK, Venugopala KN. Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models for Efficient Drug Discovery: Progress So Far and Future Prospects. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:926. [PMID: 36015074 PMCID: PMC9412659 DOI: 10.3390/ph15080926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous advancements in technologies and resources, drug discovery still remains a tedious and expensive process. Though most cells are cultured using 2D monolayer cultures, due to lack of specificity, biochemical incompatibility, and cell-to-cell/matrix communications, they often lag behind in the race of modern drug discovery. There exists compelling evidence that 3D cell culture models are quite promising and advantageous in mimicking in vivo conditions. It is anticipated that these 3D cell culture methods will bridge the translation of data from 2D cell culture to animal models. Although 3D technologies have been adopted widely these days, they still have certain challenges associated with them, such as the maintenance of a micro-tissue environment similar to in vivo models and a lack of reproducibility. However, newer 3D cell culture models are able to bypass these issues to a maximum extent. This review summarizes the basic principles of 3D cell culture approaches and emphasizes different 3D techniques such as hydrogels, spheroids, microfluidic devices, organoids, and 3D bioprinting methods. Besides the progress made so far in 3D cell culture systems, the article emphasizes the various challenges associated with these models and their potential role in drug repositioning, including perspectives from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaimaa M. Badr-Eldin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (H.M.A.); (S.K.)
- Center of Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hibah M. Aldawsari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (H.M.A.); (S.K.)
- Center of Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabna Kotta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (H.M.A.); (S.K.)
- Center of Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pran Kishore Deb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, P.O. Box 1, Amman 19392, Jordan
| | - Katharigatta N. Venugopala
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4001, South Africa
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7
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Combining HDAC and MEK Inhibitors with Radiation against Glioblastoma-Derived Spheres. Cells 2022; 11:cells11050775. [PMID: 35269397 PMCID: PMC8909581 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSLCs) in glioblastoma limit effective treatment and promote therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Using a combined radiation and drug-screening platform, we tested the combination of a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) and MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor (MEKi) with radiation to predict the efficacy against GSLCs. To mimic a stem-like phenotype, glioblastoma-derived spheres were used and treated with a combination of HDACi (MS-275) and MEKi (TAK-733 or trametinib) with 4 Gy irradiation. The sphere-forming ability after the combined radiochemotherapy was investigated using a sphere formation assay, while the expression levels of the GSLC markers (CD44, Nestin and SOX2) after treatment were analyzed using Western blotting and flow cytometry. The combined radiochemotherapy treatment inhibited the sphere formation in both glioblastoma-derived spheres, decreased the expression of the GSLC markers in a cell-line dependent manner and increased the dead cell population. Finally, we showed that the combined treatment with radiation was more effective at reducing the GSLC markers compared to the standard treatment of temozolomide and radiation. These results suggest that combining HDAC and MEK inhibition with radiation may offer a new strategy to improve the treatment of glioblastoma.
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8
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Abstract
In vitro cancer research models require the utmost accuracy and precision to effectively investigate physiological pathways and mechanisms, as well as test the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. Although two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models have been the traditional hallmark of cancer research, increasing evidence suggests 2D tumor models cannot accurately recapitulate complex aspects of tumor cells and drug responses. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures, however, are more physiologically relevant in oncology as they model the cancer network and microenvironment better, allowing for development and assessment of natural products and other anticancer drugs. The present review outlines unprecedented ways in which multicellular spheroid models, organoid models, hydrogel models, microfluidic devices, microfiber scaffold models, and tissue-engineered scaffold models are used in this research. The future of cancer research lies within 3D cell cultures, and as this approach improves, cancer research will continue to advance.
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Ravichandran A, Clegg J, Adams MN, Hampson M, Fielding A, Bray LJ. 3D Breast Tumor Models for Radiobiology Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5714. [PMID: 34830869 PMCID: PMC8616164 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated death in women. The clinical management of breast cancers is normally carried out using a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. The majority of research investigating breast cancer therapy until now has mainly utilized two-dimensional (2D) in vitro cultures or murine models of disease. However, there has been significant uptake of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models by cancer researchers over the past decade, highlighting a complimentary model for studies of radiotherapy, especially in conjunction with chemotherapy. In this review, we underline the effects of radiation therapy on normal and malignant breast cells and tissues, and explore the emerging opportunities that pre-clinical 3D models offer in improving our understanding of this treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhilandeshwari Ravichandran
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (A.R.); (J.C.); (M.H.)
- ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Julien Clegg
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (A.R.); (J.C.); (M.H.)
- ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Mark N. Adams
- ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Madison Hampson
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (A.R.); (J.C.); (M.H.)
| | - Andrew Fielding
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Laura J. Bray
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (A.R.); (J.C.); (M.H.)
- ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
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Porcheri C, Mitsiadis TA. New Scenarios in Pharmacological Treatments of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215515. [PMID: 34771677 PMCID: PMC8583200 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most frequent types of cancer with a lethal outcome in half of the diagnosed cases. Mostly, HNSCC develops in the oral cavity, and its development is associated with tobacco and areca nut/betel quid usage, alcohol consumption, and HPV infection. Oral squamous cell carcinoma, as other head and neck cancers, presents a high degree of intratumor heterogeneity, which makes their treatment difficult, and directly correlates with drug resistance. Since the classical treatments for HNSCC oftentimes do not resolve the clinical picture, there is great need for novel therapeutic approaches, models for drug testing, and new drug delivery systems.
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Grubb ML, Caliari SR. Fabrication approaches for high-throughput and biomimetic disease modeling. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:52-82. [PMID: 33716174 PMCID: PMC8433272 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is often a tradeoff between in vitro disease modeling platforms that capture pathophysiologic complexity and those that are amenable to high-throughput fabrication and analysis. However, this divide is closing through the application of a handful of fabrication approaches-parallel fabrication, automation, and flow-driven assembly-to design sophisticated cellular and biomaterial systems. The purpose of this review is to highlight methods for the fabrication of high-throughput biomaterial-based platforms and showcase examples that demonstrate their utility over a range of throughput and complexity. We conclude with a discussion of future considerations for the continued development of higher-throughput in vitro platforms that capture the appropriate level of biological complexity for the desired application. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: There is a pressing need for new biomedical tools to study and understand disease. These platforms should mimic the complex properties of the body while also permitting investigation of many combinations of cells, extracellular cues, and/or therapeutics in high-throughput. This review summarizes emerging strategies to fabricate biomimetic disease models that bridge the gap between complex tissue-mimicking microenvironments and high-throughput screens for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Grubb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States
| | - Steven R Caliari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States.
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Franchi-Mendes T, Eduardo R, Domenici G, Brito C. 3D Cancer Models: Depicting Cellular Crosstalk within the Tumour Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4610. [PMID: 34572836 PMCID: PMC8468887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment plays a critical role in tumour progression and drug resistance processes. Non-malignant cell players, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells and others, interact with each other and with the tumour cells, shaping the disease. Though the role of each cell type and cell communication mechanisms have been progressively studied, the complexity of this cellular network and its role in disease mechanism and therapeutic response are still being unveiled. Animal models have been mainly used, as they can represent systemic interactions and conditions, though they face recognized limitations in translational potential due to interspecies differences. In vitro 3D cancer models can surpass these limitations, by incorporating human cells, including patient-derived ones, and allowing a range of experimental designs with precise control of each tumour microenvironment element. We summarize the role of each tumour microenvironment component and review studies proposing 3D co-culture strategies of tumour cells and non-malignant cell components. Moreover, we discuss the potential of these modelling approaches to uncover potential therapeutic targets in the tumour microenvironment and assess therapeutic efficacy, current bottlenecks and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Franchi-Mendes
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Eduardo
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Giacomo Domenici
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Lisbon Campus, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
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13
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3D Modeling of Epithelial Tumors-The Synergy between Materials Engineering, 3D Bioprinting, High-Content Imaging, and Nanotechnology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126225. [PMID: 34207601 PMCID: PMC8230141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The current statistics on cancer show that 90% of all human cancers originate from epithelial cells. Breast and prostate cancer are examples of common tumors of epithelial origin that would benefit from improved drug treatment strategies. About 90% of preclinically approved drugs fail in clinical trials, partially due to the use of too simplified in vitro models and a lack of mimicking the tumor microenvironment in drug efficacy testing. This review focuses on the origin and mechanism of epithelial cancers, followed by experimental models designed to recapitulate the epithelial cancer structure and microenvironment, such as 2D and 3D cell culture models and animal models. A specific focus is put on novel technologies for cell culture of spheroids, organoids, and 3D-printed tissue-like models utilizing biomaterials of natural or synthetic origins. Further emphasis is laid on high-content imaging technologies that are used in the field to visualize in vitro models and their morphology. The associated technological advancements and challenges are also discussed. Finally, the review gives an insight into the potential of exploiting nanotechnological approaches in epithelial cancer research both as tools in tumor modeling and how they can be utilized for the development of nanotherapeutics.
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Anastasov N, Hirmer E, Klenner M, Ott J, Falkenberg N, Bao X, Mutschelknaus L, Moertl S, Combs S, Atkinson MJ, Schmid T. MEK1 Inhibitor Combined with Irradiation Reduces Migration of Breast Cancer Cells Including miR-221 and ZEB1 EMT Marker Expression. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123760. [PMID: 33327491 PMCID: PMC7764972 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy are an effective treatment for invasive breast cancer. However, some studies suggest that such interventions may increase the risk of metastasis. Cell metastatic behavior is highly dependent on RAS-RAF-MEK pathway and its downstream target activation, including miR-221 overexpression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). By using MEK1 inhibitor (TAK-733) in combination with radiation therapy for breast cancer cells, significant decrease in migration capacity, including reduction of miR-221 and EMT (ZEB1) marker expression was observed. miR-221 holds great potential as therapeutic biomarker and target for new drug developments, however more insight into efficiency of miR-221 inhibition needs to be followed in the future. Abstract The miR-221 expression is dependent on the oncogenic RAS-RAF-MEK pathway activation and influences epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analysis showed high gene significance for ZEB1 with EMT module analysis and miR-221 overexpression within the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2+ subgroups when compared to luminal A/B subgroups. EMT marker expression analysis after MEK1 (TAK-733) inhibitor treatment and irradiation was combined with miR-221 and ZEB1 expression analysis. The interaction of miR-221 overexpression with irradiation and its influence on migration, proliferation, colony formation and subsequent EMT target activation were investigated. The results revealed that MEK1 inhibitor treatment combined with irradiation could decrease the migratory potential of breast cancer cells including reduction of miR-221 and corresponding downstream ZEB1 (EMT) marker expression. The clonogenic survival assays revealed that miR-221 overexpressing SKBR3 cells were more radioresistant when compared to the control. Remarkably, the effect of miR-221 overexpression on migration in highly proliferative and highly HER2-positive SKBR3 cells remained constant even upon 8 Gy irradiation. Further, in naturally miR-221-overexpressing MDA-MB-231 cells, the proliferation and migration significantly decrease after miR-221 knockdown. This leads to the assumption that radiation alone is not reducing migration capacity of miR-221-overexpressing cells and that additional factors play an important role in this context. The miR-221/ZEB1 activity is efficiently targeted upon MEK1 inhibitor (TAK-733) treatment and when combined with irradiation treatment, significant reduction in migration of breast cancer cells was shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataša Anastasov
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-893-187-3798; Fax: +49-893-187-3017
| | - Elisabeth Hirmer
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (S.C.); (T.S.)
| | - Marbod Klenner
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Jessica Ott
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (S.C.); (T.S.)
| | - Natalie Falkenberg
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany;
- Clinical Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Xuanwen Bao
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Lisa Mutschelknaus
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Simone Moertl
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
- Federal Office of Radiation Protection, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie Combs
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (S.C.); (T.S.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael J. Atkinson
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (E.H.); (M.K.); (J.O.); (X.B.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (M.J.A.)
- Radiation Biology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmid
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (S.C.); (T.S.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
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Benning L, Peintner A, Finkenzeller G, Peintner L. Automated spheroid generation, drug application and efficacy screening using a deep learning classification: a feasibility study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11071. [PMID: 32632214 PMCID: PMC7338379 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67960-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The last two decades saw the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures as an acknowledged tool to investigate cell behaviour in a tissue-like environment. Cells growing in spheroids differentiate and develop different characteristics in comparison to their two-dimensionally grown counterparts and are hence seen to exhibit a more in vivo-like phenotype. However, generating, treating and analysing spheroids in high quantities remains labour intensive and therefore limits its applicability in drugs and compound research. Here we present a fully automated pipetting robot that is able to (a) seed hanging drops from single cell suspensions, (b) treat the spheroids formed in these hanging drops with drugs and (c) analyse the viability of the spheroids by an image-based deep learning based convolutional neuronal network (CNN). The model is trained to classify between ‘unaffected’, ‘mildly affected’ and ‘affected’ spheroids after drug exposure. All corresponding spheroids are initially analysed by viability flow cytometry analysis to build a labelled training set for the CNN to subsequently reduce the number of misclassifications. Hence, this approach allows to efficiently examine the efficacy of drug combinatorics or new compounds in 3D cell culture. Additionally, it may provide a valuable instrument to screen for new and individualized systemic therapeutic strategies in second and third line treatment of solid malignancies using patient derived primary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Benning
- Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Peintner
- Department of Computer Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Günter Finkenzeller
- Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Peintner
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Strasse 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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Lin S, Schorpp K, Rothenaigner I, Hadian K. Image-based high-content screening in drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1348-1361. [PMID: 32561299 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
While target-based drug discovery strategies rely on the precise knowledge of the identity and function of the drug targets, phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) approaches allow the identification of novel drugs based on knowledge of a distinct phenotype. Image-based high-content screening (HCS) is a potent PDD strategy that characterizes small-molecule effects through the quantification of features that depict cellular changes among or within cell populations, thereby generating valuable data sets for subsequent data analysis. However, these data can be complex, making image analysis from large HCS campaigns challenging. Technological advances in image acquisition, processing, and analysis as well as machine-learning (ML) approaches for the analysis of multidimensional data sets have rendered HCS as a viable technology for small-molecule drug discovery. Here, we discuss HCS concepts, current workflows as well as opportunities and challenges of image-based phenotypic screening and data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Lin
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kenji Schorpp
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ina Rothenaigner
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kamyar Hadian
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
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Calpe B, Kovacs WJ. High-throughput screening in multicellular spheroids for target discovery in the tumor microenvironment. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:955-967. [PMID: 32364413 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1756769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Solid tumors are highly influenced by a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that cannot be modeled with conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture. In addition, monolayer culture conditions tend to induce undesirable molecular and phenotypic cellular changes. The discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo is an important factor accounting for the high failure rate in drug development. Three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) more closely resemble the in vivo situation in avascularized tumors. AREAS COVERED This review describes the use of MTS for anti-cancer drug discovery, with an emphasis on high-throughput screening (HTS) compatible assays. In particular, we focus on how these assays can be used for target discovery in the context of the TME. EXPERT OPINION Arrayed MTS in microtiter plates are HTS compatible but remain more expensive and time consuming than their 2D culture counterpart. It is therefore imperative to use assays with multiplexed readouts, in order to maximize the information that can be gained with the screen. In this context, high-content screening allowing to uncover microenvironmental dependencies is the true added value of MTS-based screening compared to 2D culture-based screening. Hit translation in animal models will, however, be key to allow a broader use of MTS-based screening in industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise Calpe
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich , Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Biology, Debiopharm , Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Werner J Kovacs
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich , Zurich, Switzerland
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Brancato V, Oliveira JM, Correlo VM, Reis RL, Kundu SC. Could 3D models of cancer enhance drug screening? Biomaterials 2019; 232:119744. [PMID: 31918229 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a multifaceted pathology, where cellular and acellular players interact to drive cancer progression and, in the worst-case, metastasis. The current methods to investigate the heterogeneous nature of cancer are inadequate, since they rely on 2D cell cultures and animal models. The cell line-based drug efficacy and toxicity assays are not able to predict the tumor response to anti-cancer agents and it is already widely discussed how molecular pathway are not recapitulated in vitro so called flat biology. On the other side, animal models often fail to detect the side-effects of drugs, mimic the metastatic progression or the interaction between cancer and immune system, due to biologic difference in human and animals. Moreover, ethical and regulatory issues limit animal experimentation. Every year pharma/biotech companies lose resources in drug discovery and testing processes that are successful only in 5% of the cases. There is an urgent need to validate accurate and predictive platforms in order to enhance drug-testing process taking into account the physiopathology of the tumor microenvironment. Three dimensional in vitro tumor models could enhance drug manufactures in developing effective drugs for cancer diseases. The 3D in vitro cancer models can improve the predictability of toxicity and drug sensitivity in cancer. Despite the demonstrated advantages of 3D in vitro disease systems when compared to 2D culture and animal models, they still do not reach the standardization required for preclinical trials. This review highlights in vitro models that may be used as preclinical models, accelerating the drug development process towards more precise and personalized standard of care for cancer patients. We describe the state-of-the art of 3D in vitro culture systems, with a focus on how these different approaches could be coupled in order to achieve a compromise between standardization and reliability in recapitulating tumor microenvironment and drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Brancato
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Joaquim Miguel Oliveira
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, Avepark, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Vitor Manuel Correlo
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, Avepark, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rui Luis Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal; The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, Avepark, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Subhas C Kundu
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal.
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19
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Comparison of Radiosensitization by HDAC Inhibitors CUDC-101 and SAHA in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133259. [PMID: 31269745 PMCID: PMC6651299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis. New treatment options are urgently required to improve patient outcomes. One promising new class of anticancer drugs are synthetic histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) which modulate chromatin structure and gene expression by blocking histone deacetylation. In this study, we aimed at comparing the in vitro capacities of the HDACi SAHA and CUDC-101 to increase radiosensitivity of human pancreatic tumor cell lines. Therefore, three pancreatic cancer cell lines (Su.86.86, MIA Paca-2, T3M-4) were treated with SAHA (1.5–5 µM) or CUDC-101 (0.25–3 µM) and after 24 h irradiated. Cell proliferation, clonogenic survival and apoptosis was determined. Additionally, cell lysates were investigated for the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. CUDC-101 and SAHA increased the radiation sensitivity of pancreatic tumor cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. This was evidenced by cell proliferation and clonogenic survival. Furthermore, enhanced radiation sensitivity after CUDC-101 or SAHA treatment was confirmed for Su.86.86 and T3M-4 cells in a 3-D microtissue approach. Increased amounts of subG1 cells and diminished full length PARP-1 suggest increased radiation-induced apoptosis after SAHA or CUDC-101 treatment. The comparison of both inhibitors in these assays manifested CUDC-101 as more potent radiosensitizer than SAHA. In line, western blot quantification of the apoptosis-inhibitory proteins XIAP and survivin showed a stronger down-regulation in response to CUDC-101 treatment than after SAHA application. These proteins may contribute to the synergy between HDAC inhibition and radiation response. In conclusion, these preclinical results suggest that treatment with the HDAC inhibitors CUDC-101 or SAHA can enhance radiation-induced cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cells. However, comparison of both inhibitors identified the multi target inhibitor CUDC-101 as more potent radiosensitizer than the HDAC inhibitor SAHA.
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20
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Bourland J, Fradette J, Auger FA. Tissue-engineered 3D melanoma model with blood and lymphatic capillaries for drug development. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13191. [PMID: 30181613 PMCID: PMC6123405 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31502-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While being the rarest skin cancer, melanoma is also the deadliest. To further drug discovery and improve clinical translation, new human cell-based in vitro models are needed. Our work strives to mimic the melanoma microenvironment in vitro as an alternative to animal testing. We used the self-assembly method to produce a 3D human melanoma model exempt of exogenous biomaterial. This model is based on primary human skin cells and melanoma cell lines while including a key feature for tumor progression: blood and lymphatic capillaries. Major components of the tumor microenvironment such as capillaries, human extracellular matrix, a stratified epidermis (involucrin, filaggrin) and basement membrane (laminin 332) are recapitulated in vitro. We demonstrate the persistence of CD31+ blood and podoplanin+/LYVE-1+ lymphatic capillaries in the engineered tissue. Chronic treatment with vemurafenib was applied to the model and elicited a dose-dependent response on proliferation and apoptosis, making it a promising tool to test new compounds in a human-like environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bourland
- Centre de recherche en organogénèse expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Qc, Canada
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, Qc, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Julie Fradette
- Centre de recherche en organogénèse expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Qc, Canada
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, Qc, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - François A Auger
- Centre de recherche en organogénèse expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Qc, Canada.
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, Qc, Canada.
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada.
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Current Screening Methodologies in Drug Discovery for Selected Human Diseases. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:md16080279. [PMID: 30110923 PMCID: PMC6117650 DOI: 10.3390/md16080279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The increase of many deadly diseases like infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria implies re-inventing the wheel on drug discovery. A better comprehension of the metabolisms and regulation of diseases, the increase in knowledge based on the study of disease-born microorganisms’ genomes, the development of more representative disease models and improvement of techniques, technologies, and computation applied to biology are advances that will foster drug discovery in upcoming years. In this paper, several aspects of current methodologies for drug discovery of antibacterial and antifungals, anti-tropical diseases, antibiofilm and antiquorum sensing, anticancer and neuroprotectors are considered. For drug discovery, two different complementary approaches can be applied: classical pharmacology, also known as phenotypic drug discovery, which is the historical basis of drug discovery, and reverse pharmacology, also designated target-based drug discovery. Screening methods based on phenotypic drug discovery have been used to discover new natural products mainly from terrestrial origin. Examples of the discovery of marine natural products are provided. A section on future trends provides a comprehensive overview on recent advances that will foster the pharmaceutical industry.
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Mazzarella L, Curigliano G. A new approach to assess drug sensitivity in cells for novel drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2018; 13:339-346. [PMID: 29415581 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2018.1437136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is a pressing need to improve strategies to select candidate drugs early on in the drug development pipeline, especially in oncology, as the efficiency of new drug approval has steadily declined these past years. Traditional methods of drug screening have relied on low-cost assays on cancer cell lines growing on plastic dishes. Recent massive-scale screens have generated big data amenable for sophisticated computational modeling and integration with clinical data. However, 2D culturing has several intrinsic limitations and novel methodologies have been devised for culturing in three dimensions, to include cells from the tumor immune microenvironment. These major improvements are bringing in vitro systems even closer to a physiological, more clinically relevant state. Areas covered: In this article, the authors review the literature on methodologies for early-phase drug screening, focusing on in vitro systems and analyzing both novel experimental and statistical approaches. The article does not cover the expanding literature on in vivo systems. Expert opinion: The popularity of three-dimensional systems is exploding, driven by the development of 'organoid' derivation technology in 2009. These assays are growing in sophistication to accommodate the increasing need by modern oncology to develop drugs that target the microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Mazzarella
- a Division of Early Drug Development , European Institute of Oncology , Milano , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- a Division of Early Drug Development , European Institute of Oncology , Milano , Italy.,b Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology , University of Milano , Milano , Italy
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Marimuthu M, Rousset N, St-Georges-Robillard A, Lateef MA, Ferland M, Mes-Masson AM, Gervais T. Multi-size spheroid formation using microfluidic funnels. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:304-314. [PMID: 29211088 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00970d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We present a microfluidic platform for automatic multi-size spheroid formation within constant volume hanging droplets (HDs) from a single inlet loading of a constant cell concentration. The platform introduces three technological improvements over the existing spheroid formation platforms: 1) cell seeding control is achieved by enrichment of a cell solution rather than dilution; 2) cell seeding in each HD is fully independent and pre-programmable at the design stage; 3) the fabricated chip operates well using a hydrophobic PDMS surface, ensuring long-term storage possibility for device usage. Pre-programmed cell seeding densities at each HD are achieved using a "microfluidic funnel" layer, which has an array of cone-shaped wells with increasing apex angles acting as a metering unit. The integrated platform is designed to form, treat, stain, and image multi-size spheroids on-chip. Spheroids can be analyzed on-chip or easily transferred to conventional well plates for further processing. Empirically, enrichment factors up to 37× have been demonstrated, resulting in viable spheroids of diameters ranging from 230-420 μm and 280-530 μm for OV90 and TOV112D cell lines, respectively. We envision that microfluidic funnels and single inlet multi-size spheroid (SIMSS) chips will find broad application in 3D biological assays where size-dependent responses are expected, including chemoresponse assays, photodynamic therapy assays, and other assays involving drug transport characterization in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Marimuthu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada.
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A Method for Prostate and Breast Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures Using Gelatin Methacryloyl-Based Hydrogels. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1786:175-194. [PMID: 29786793 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7845-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Modern tissue engineering technologies have delivered tools to recreate a cell's naturally occurring niche in vitro and to investigate normal and pathological cell-cell and cell-niche interactions. Hydrogel biomaterials mimic crucial properties of native extracellular matrices, including mechanical support, cell adhesion sites and proteolytic degradability. As such, they are applied as 3D cell culture platforms to replicate tissue-like architectures observed in vivo, allowing physiologically relevant cell behaviors. Here we review bioengineered 3D approaches used for prostate and breast cancer. Furthermore, we describe the synthesis and use of gelatin methacryloyl-based hydrogels as in vitro 3D cancer model. This platform is used to engineer the microenvironments for prostate and breast cancer cells to study processes regulating spheroid formation, cell functions and responses to therapeutic compounds. Collectively, these bioengineered 3D approaches provide cell biologists with innovative pre-clinical tools that integrate the complexity of the disease seen in patients to advance our knowledge of cancer cell physiology and the contribution of a tumor's surrounding milieu.
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Mittler F, Obeïd P, Rulina AV, Haguet V, Gidrol X, Balakirev MY. High-Content Monitoring of Drug Effects in a 3D Spheroid Model. Front Oncol 2017; 7:293. [PMID: 29322028 PMCID: PMC5732143 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent decline in the discovery of novel medications challenges the widespread use of 2D monolayer cell assays in the drug discovery process. As a result, the need for more appropriate cellular models of human physiology and disease has renewed the interest in spheroid 3D culture as a pertinent model for drug screening. However, despite technological progress that has significantly simplified spheroid production and analysis, the seeming complexity of the 3D approach has delayed its adoption in many laboratories. The present report demonstrates that the use of a spheroid model may be straightforward and can provide information that is not directly available with a standard 2D approach. We describe a cost-efficient method that allows for the production of an array of uniform spheroids, their staining with vital dyes, real-time monitoring of drug effects, and an ATP-endpoint assay, all in the same 96-well U-bottom plate. To demonstrate the method performance, we analyzed the effect of the preclinical anticancer drug MLN4924 on spheroids formed by VCaP and LNCaP prostate cancer cells. The drug has different outcomes in these cell lines, varying from cell cycle arrest and protective dormancy to senescence and apoptosis. We demonstrate that by using high-content analysis of spheroid arrays, the effect of the drug can be described as a series of EC50 values that clearly dissect the cytostatic and cytotoxic drug actions. The method was further evaluated using four standard cancer chemotherapeutics with different mechanisms of action, and the effect of each drug is described as a unique multi-EC50 diagram. Once fully validated in a wider range of conditions, this method could be particularly valuable for phenotype-based drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patricia Obeïd
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG, BGE, Grenoble, France
| | - Anastasia V. Rulina
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG, BGE, Grenoble, France
- Université Lyon 1, ENS de Lyon, INSERM, CNRS, CIRI, Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Haguet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG, BGE, Grenoble, France
| | - Xavier Gidrol
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG, BGE, Grenoble, France
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26
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Liquid Marble as Bioreactor for Engineering Three-Dimensional Toroid Tissues. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12388. [PMID: 28959016 PMCID: PMC5620055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12636-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid marble is a liquid droplet coated with hydrophobic powder that can be used as a bioreactor. This paper reports the three-dimensional self-assembly and culture of a cell toroid in a slow-releasing, non-adhesive and evaporation-reducing bioreactor platform based on a liquid marble. The bioreactor is constructed by embedding a hydrogel sphere containing growth factor into a liquid marble filled with a suspension of dissociated cells. The hydrogel maintains the water content and concurrently acts as a slow-release carrier. The concentration gradient of growth factor induces cell migration and assembly into toroidal aggregates. An optimum cell concentration resulted in the toroidal (doughnut-like) tissue after 12 hours. The harvested cell toroids showed rapid closure of the inner opening when treated with the growth factor. We also present a geometric growth model to describe the shape of the toroidal tissue over time. In analogy to the classical two-dimensional scratch assay, we propose that the cell toroids reported here open up new possibilities to screen drugs affecting cell migration in three dimensions.
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27
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Totti S, Vernardis SI, Meira L, Pérez-Mancera PA, Costello E, Greenhalf W, Palmer D, Neoptolemos J, Mantalaris A, Velliou EG. Designing a bio-inspired biomimetic in vitro system for the optimization of ex vivo studies of pancreatic cancer. Drug Discov Today 2017; 22:690-701. [PMID: 28153670 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2017.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal human malignancies. Drug therapies and radiotherapy are used for treatment as adjuvants to surgery, but outcomes remain disappointing. Advances in tissue engineering suggest that 3D cultures can reflect the in vivo tumor microenvironment and can guarantee a physiological distribution of oxygen, nutrients, and drugs, making them promising low-cost tools for therapy development. Here, we review crucial structural and environmental elements that should be considered for an accurate design of an ex vivo platform for studies of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, we propose environmental stress response biomarkers as platform readouts for the efficient control and further prediction of the pancreatic cancer response to the environmental and treatment input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Totti
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem), Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Spyros I Vernardis
- Biological Systems Engineering Laboratory (BSEL), Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, UK
| | - Lisiane Meira
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Pedro A Pérez-Mancera
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
| | - Eithne Costello
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK; NIHR Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
| | - William Greenhalf
- NIHR Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
| | - Daniel Palmer
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
| | - John Neoptolemos
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK; NIHR Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit, University of Liverpool,Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
| | - Athanasios Mantalaris
- Biological Systems Engineering Laboratory (BSEL), Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, UK
| | - Eirini G Velliou
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem), Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
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28
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Radulovic V, Heider T, Richter S, Moertl S, Atkinson MJ, Anastasov N. Differential response of normal and transformed mammary epithelial cells to combined treatment of anti-miR-21 and radiation. Int J Radiat Biol 2017; 93:361-372. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2016.1266057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Radulovic
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Theresa Heider
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Richter
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Simone Moertl
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael J. Atkinson
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Radiation Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nataša Anastasov
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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29
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Ivanov DP, Grabowska AM, Garnett MC. High-Throughput Spheroid Screens Using Volume, Resazurin Reduction, and Acid Phosphatase Activity. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1601:43-59. [PMID: 28470516 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6960-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mainstream adoption of physiologically relevant three-dimensional models has been slow in the last 50 years due to long, manual protocols with poor reproducibility, high price, and closed commercial platforms. This chapter describes high-throughput, low-cost, open methods for spheroid viability assessment which use readily available reagents and open-source software to analyze spheroid volume, metabolism, and enzymatic activity. We provide two ImageJ macros for automated spheroid size determination-for both single images and images in stacks. We also share an Excel template spreadsheet allowing users to rapidly process spheroid size data, analyze plate uniformity (such as edge effects and systematic seeding errors), detect outliers, and calculate dose-response. The methods would be useful to researchers in preclinical and translational research planning to move away from simplistic monolayer studies and explore 3D spheroid screens for drug safety and efficacy without substantial investment in money or time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delyan P Ivanov
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Anna M Grabowska
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
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30
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Horvath P, Aulner N, Bickle M, Davies AM, Nery ED, Ebner D, Montoya MC, Östling P, Pietiäinen V, Price LS, Shorte SL, Turcatti G, von Schantz C, Carragher NO. Screening out irrelevant cell-based models of disease. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2016; 15:751-769. [PMID: 27616293 DOI: 10.1038/nrd.2016.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The common and persistent failures to translate promising preclinical drug candidates into clinical success highlight the limited effectiveness of disease models currently used in drug discovery. An apparent reluctance to explore and adopt alternative cell- and tissue-based model systems, coupled with a detachment from clinical practice during assay validation, contributes to ineffective translational research. To help address these issues and stimulate debate, here we propose a set of principles to facilitate the definition and development of disease-relevant assays, and we discuss new opportunities for exploiting the latest advances in cell-based assay technologies in drug discovery, including induced pluripotent stem cells, three-dimensional (3D) co-culture and organ-on-a-chip systems, complemented by advances in single-cell imaging and gene editing technologies. Funding to support precompetitive, multidisciplinary collaborations to develop novel preclinical models and cell-based screening technologies could have a key role in improving their clinical relevance, and ultimately increase clinical success rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Horvath
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged H-6726, Hungary; and at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Nathalie Aulner
- Imagopole-Citech, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75015, France.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Marc Bickle
- Technology Development Studio, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Anthony M Davies
- Translational Cell Imaging Queensland (TCIQ), Institute of Health Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4102 QLD, Australia; and The Irish National Centre for High Content Screening and Analysis, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Phase 3 Trinity Health Sciences 1.20, St James Hospital, Dublin D8, Republic of Ireland.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Elaine Del Nery
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Department of Translational Research, The Biophenics High-Content Screening Laboratory, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA), F-75005, Paris, France.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Daniel Ebner
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Maria C Montoya
- Cellomics Unit, Cell Biology &Physiology Program, Cell &Developmental Biology Area, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid 28029, Spain.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Päivi Östling
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland.,Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17165, Sweden.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Vilja Pietiäinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Leo S Price
- Faculty of Science, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Toxicology, Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands; and at OcellO, J.H Oortweg 21, 2333 CH, Leiden, The Netherlands.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Spencer L Shorte
- Imagopole-Citech, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75015, France.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Gerardo Turcatti
- Biomolecular Screening Facility, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Carina von Schantz
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
| | - Neil O Carragher
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK.,European Cell-Based Assays Interest Group
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31
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Molnar C, Jermyn IH, Kato Z, Rahkama V, Östling P, Mikkonen P, Pietiäinen V, Horvath P. Accurate Morphology Preserving Segmentation of Overlapping Cells based on Active Contours. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32412. [PMID: 27561654 PMCID: PMC5001623 DOI: 10.1038/srep32412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of fluorescently stained cell nuclei is the basis of cell detection, segmentation, and feature extraction in high content microscopy experiments. The nuclear morphology of single cells is also one of the essential indicators of phenotypic variation. However, the cells used in experiments can lose their contact inhibition, and can therefore pile up on top of each other, making the detection of single cells extremely challenging using current segmentation methods. The model we present here can detect cell nuclei and their morphology even in high-confluency cell cultures with many overlapping cell nuclei. We combine the "gas of near circles" active contour model, which favors circular shapes but allows slight variations around them, with a new data model. This captures a common property of many microscopic imaging techniques: the intensities from superposed nuclei are additive, so that two overlapping nuclei, for example, have a total intensity that is approximately double the intensity of a single nucleus. We demonstrate the power of our method on microscopic images of cells, comparing the results with those obtained from a widely used approach, and with manual image segmentations by experts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Molnar
- Synthetic and System Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ian H Jermyn
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Zoltan Kato
- Department of Mathematics and Informatics, J. Selye University, Komarno, Slovakia
| | - Vesa Rahkama
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Östling
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Piia Mikkonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vilja Pietiäinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Horvath
- Synthetic and System Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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32
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Falkenberg N, Höfig I, Rosemann M, Szumielewski J, Richter S, Schorpp K, Hadian K, Aubele M, Atkinson MJ, Anastasov N. Three-dimensional microtissues essentially contribute to preclinical validations of therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Cancer Med 2016; 5:703-10. [PMID: 26763588 PMCID: PMC4831289 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A 3D microtissues using T47D and JIMT‐1 cells were generated to analyze tissue‐like response of breast cancer cells after combined human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐targeted treatment and radiation. Following lentiviral knockdown of HER2, we compared growth rate alterations using 2D monolayers, 3D microtissues, and mouse xenografts. Additionally, to model combined therapeutic strategies, we treated HER2‐depleted T47D cells and 3D microtissues using trastuzumab (anti‐HER2 antibody) in combination with irradiation. Comparison of HER2 knockdown with corresponding controls revealed growth impairment due to HER2 knockdown in T47D 2D monolayers, 3D microtissues, and xenografts (after 2, 12, and ≥40 days, respectively). In contrast, HER2 knockdown was less effective in inhibiting growth of trastuzumab‐resistant JIMT‐1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Combined administration of trastuzumab and radiation treatment was also analyzed using T47D 3D microtissues. Administration of both, radiation (5 Gy) and trastuzumab, significantly enhanced the growth inhibiting effect in 3D microtissues. To improve the predictive power of potential drugs—as single agents or in combination—here, we show that regarding tumor growth analyses, 3D microtissues are highly comparable to outcomes derived from xenografts. Considering increased limitations for animal experiments on the one hand and strong need of novel drugs on the other hand, it is indispensable to include highly reproducible 3D microtissue platform in preclinical analyses to validate more accurately the capacity of future drug‐combined radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Falkenberg
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ines Höfig
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Rosemann
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Justine Szumielewski
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Richter
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kenji Schorpp
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kamyar Hadian
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Aubele
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael J Atkinson
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.,Radiation Biology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Nataša Anastasov
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
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33
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Kim J, Tanner K. Recapitulating the Tumor Ecosystem Along the Metastatic Cascade Using 3D Culture Models. Front Oncol 2015; 5:170. [PMID: 26284194 PMCID: PMC4518327 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in cancer research have shown that a tumor can be likened to a foreign species that disrupts delicately balanced ecological interactions, compromising the survival of normal tissue ecosystems. In efforts to mitigate tumor expansion and metastasis, experimental approaches from ecology are becoming more frequently and successfully applied by researchers from diverse disciplines to reverse engineer and re-engineer biological systems in order to normalize the tumor ecosystem. We present a review on the use of 3D biomimetic platforms to recapitulate biotic and abiotic components of the tumor ecosystem, in efforts to delineate the underlying mechanisms that drive evolution of tumor heterogeneity, tumor dissemination, and acquisition of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyun Kim
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Nano System Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kandice Tanner
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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