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Nguyen TNH, Horowitz LF, Nguyen B, Lockhart E, Zhu S, Gujral TS, Folch A. Microfluidic Modulation of Microvasculature in Microdissected Tumors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.26.615278. [PMID: 39386436 PMCID: PMC11463410 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.26.615278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
The microvasculature within the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in cancer signaling beyond nutrient delivery. However, it has been challenging to control the generation and/or maintenance of microvasculature in ex vivo systems, a critical step for establishing cancer models of high clinical biomimicry. There have been great successes in engineering tissues incorporating microvasculature de novo (e.g., organoids and organs-on-chip), but these reconstituted tissues are formed with non-native cellular and molecular components that can skew certain outcomes such as drug efficacy. Microdissected tumors, on the other hand, show promise in preserving the TME, which is key for creating cancer models that can bridge the gap between bench and bedside. However, microdissected tumors are challenging to perfuse. Here, we developed a microfluidic platform that allows for perfusing the microvasculature of microdissected tumors. We demonstrate that, compared to diffusive transport, microfluidically perfused tissues feature larger and longer microvascular structures, with a better expression of CD31, a marker for endothelial cells, as analyzed by 3D imaging. This study also explores the effects of nitric oxide pathway-related drugs on endothelial cells, which are sensitive to shear stress and can activate endothelial nitric oxide synthase, producing nitric oxide. Our findings highlight the critical role of controlled perfusion and biochemical modulation in preserving tumor microvasculature, offering valuable insights for developing more effective cancer treatments.
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Kes MMG, Berkers CR, Drost J. Bridging the gap: advancing cancer cell culture to reveal key metabolic targets. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1480613. [PMID: 39355125 PMCID: PMC11442172 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1480613] [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: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic rewiring is a defining characteristic of cancer cells, driving their ability to proliferate. Leveraging these metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic purposes has a long and impactful history, with the advent of antimetabolites marking a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment. Despite this, only a few in vitro metabolic discoveries have been successfully translated into effective clinical therapies. This limited translatability is partially due to the use of simplistic in vitro models that do not accurately reflect the tumor microenvironment. This Review examines the effects of current cell culture practices on cancer cell metabolism and highlights recent advancements in establishing more physiologically relevant in vitro culture conditions and technologies, such as organoids. Applying these improvements may bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo findings, facilitating the development of innovative metabolic therapies for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein M G Kes
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Division Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Celia R Berkers
- Division Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jarno Drost
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
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3
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Nuckhir M, Withey D, Cabral S, Harrison H, Clarke RB. State of the Art Modelling of the Breast Cancer Metastatic Microenvironment: Where Are We? J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2024; 29:14. [PMID: 39012440 PMCID: PMC11252219 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-024-09567-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastatic spread of tumour cells to tissues and organs around the body is the most frequent cause of death from breast cancer. This has been modelled mainly using mouse models such as syngeneic mammary cancer or human in mouse xenograft models. These have limitations for modelling human disease progression and cannot easily be used for investigation of drug resistance and novel therapy screening. To complement these approaches, advances are being made in ex vivo and 3D in vitro models, which are becoming progressively better at reliably replicating the tumour microenvironment and will in the future facilitate drug development and screening. These approaches include microfluidics, organ-on-a-chip and use of advanced biomaterials. The relevant tissues to be modelled include those that are frequent and clinically important sites of metastasis such as bone, lung, brain, liver for invasive ductal carcinomas and a distinct set of common metastatic sites for lobular breast cancer. These sites all have challenges to model due to their unique cellular compositions, structure and complexity. The models, particularly in vivo, provide key information on the intricate interactions between cancer cells and the native tissue, and will guide us in producing specific therapies that are helpful in different context of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Nuckhir
- Breast Biology Group, Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - David Withey
- Breast Biology Group, Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Sara Cabral
- Breast Biology Group, Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Hannah Harrison
- Breast Biology Group, Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK.
| | - Robert B Clarke
- Breast Biology Group, Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK.
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Djamgoz MBA. Electrical excitability of cancer cells-CELEX model updated. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024:10.1007/s10555-024-10195-6. [PMID: 38976181 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10195-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
The normal functioning of every cell in the body depends on its bioelectric properties and many diseases are caused by genetic and/or epigenetic dysregulation of the underlying ion channels. Metastasis, the main cause of death from cancer, is a complex multi-stage process in which cells break away from a primary tumour, invade the surrounding tissues, enter the circulation by encountering a blood vessel and spread around the body, ultimately lodging in distant organs and reproliferating to form secondary tumours leading to devastating organ failure. Such cellular behaviours are well known to involve ion channels. The CELEX model offers a novel insight to metastasis where it is the electrical excitation of the cancer cells that is responsible for their aggressive and invasive behaviour. In turn, the hyperexcitability is underpinned by concomitant upregulation of functional voltage-gated sodium channels and downregulation of voltage-gated potassium channels. Here, we update the in vitro and in vivo evidence in favour of the CELEX model for carcinomas. The results are unequivocal for the sodium channel. The potassium channel arm is also broadly supported by existing evidence although these data are complicated by the impact of the channels on the membrane potential and consequent secondary effects. Finally, consistent with the CELEX model, we show (i) that carcinomas are indeed electrically excitable and capable of generating action potentials and (ii) that combination of a sodium channel inhibitor and a potassium channel opener can produce a strong, additive anti-invasive effect. We discuss the possible clinical implications of the CELEX model in managing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa B A Djamgoz
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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5
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Lockhart EJ, Horowitz LF, Rodríguez A, Zhu S, Nguyen T, Mehrabi M, Gujral TS, Folch A. Drug testing of monodisperse arrays of live microdissected tumors using a valved multiwell microfluidic platform. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2683-2699. [PMID: 38651213 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00016a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer drug testing in animals is an extremely poor predictor of the drug's safety and efficacy observed in humans. Hence there is a pressing need for functional testing platforms that better predict traditional and immunotherapy responses in human, live tumor tissue or tissue constructs, and at the same time are compatible with the use of mouse tumor tissue to facilitate building more accurate disease models. Since many cancer drug actions rely on mechanisms that depend on the tumor microenvironment (TME), such platforms should also retain as much of the native TME as possible. Additionally, platforms based on miniaturization technologies are desirable to reduce animal use and sensitivity to human tissue scarcity. Present high-throughput testing platforms that have some of these features, e.g. based on patient-derived tumor organoids, require a growth step that alters the TME. On the other hand, microdissected tumors (μDTs) or "spheroids" that retain an intact TME have shown promising responses to immunomodulators acting on native immune cells. However, difficult tissue handling after microdissection has reduced the throughput of drug testing on μDTs, thereby constraining the inherent advantages of producing numerous TME-preserving units of tissue for drug testing. Here we demonstrate a microfluidic 96-well platform designed for drug treatment of hundreds of similarly-sized, cuboidal μDTs ("cuboids") produced from a single tumor sample. The platform organizes a monodisperse array of four cuboids per well in 384 hydrodynamic traps. The microfluidic device, entirely fabricated in thermoplastics, features 96 microvalves that fluidically isolate each well after the cuboid loading step for straightforward multi-drug testing. Since our platform makes the most of scarce tumor tissue, it can potentially be applied to human biopsies that preserve the human TME while minimizing animal testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Lockhart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Lisa F Horowitz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Adán Rodríguez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Songli Zhu
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
| | - Tran Nguyen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | | | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
| | - Albert Folch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
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Wilby AJ, Cabral S, Zoghi N, Howell SJ, Farnie G, Harrison H. A novel preclinical model of the normal human breast. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2024; 29:9. [PMID: 38695983 PMCID: PMC11065935 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-024-09562-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Improved screening and treatment have decreased breast cancer mortality, although incidence continues to rise. Women at increased risk of breast cancer can be offered risk reducing treatments, such as tamoxifen, but this has not been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality. New, more efficacious, risk-reducing agents are needed. The identification of novel candidates for prevention is hampered by a lack of good preclinical models. Current patient derived in vitro and in vivo models cannot fully recapitulate the complexities of the human tissue, lacking human extracellular matrix, stroma, and immune cells, all of which are known to influence therapy response. Here we describe a normal breast explant model utilising a tuneable hydrogel which maintains epithelial proliferation, hormone receptor expression, and residency of T cells and macrophages over 7 days. Unlike other organotypic tissue cultures which are often limited by hyper-proliferation, loss of hormone signalling, and short treatment windows (< 48h), our model shows that tissue remains viable over 7 days with none of these early changes. This offers a powerful and unique opportunity to model the normal breast and study changes in response to various risk factors, such as breast density and hormone exposure. Further validation of the model, using samples from patients undergoing preventive therapies, will hopefully confirm this to be a valuable tool, allowing us to test novel agents for breast cancer risk reduction preclinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Wilby
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
- Manchester Breast Centre, University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Cabral
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
- Manchester Breast Centre, University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
- Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Nastaran Zoghi
- Department of Materials & Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Sacha J Howell
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
- Manchester Breast Centre, University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom
- NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 29 Grafton St, Manchester, M13 9WU, United Kingdom
- The Nightingale and Prevent Breast Cancer Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M23 9LT, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian Farnie
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Manchester, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Harrison
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom.
- Manchester Breast Centre, University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, United Kingdom.
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Conley J, Perry JR, Ashford B, Ranson M. Ex vivo therapeutic screening of metastatic cSCC: A review of methodological considerations for clinical implementation. Exp Dermatol 2024; 33:e15089. [PMID: 38659312 DOI: 10.1111/exd.15089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common malignancy worldwide, with most deaths caused by locally advanced and metastatic disease. Treatment of resectable metastases is typically limited to invasive surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy; however, many patients fail to respond and there is minimal data to predict response or propose effective alternatives. Precision medicine could improve this, though genomic biomarkers remain elusive in the high mutational background and genomic complexity of cSCC. A phenotypic approach to precision medicine using patient-derived ex vivo tumour models is gaining favour for its capacity to directly assess biological responses to therapeutics as a functional, predictive biomarker. However, the use of ex vivo models for guiding therapeutic selection has yet to be employed for metastatic cSCC. This review will therefore evaluate the existing experimental models of metastatic cSCC and discuss how ex vivo methods could overcome the shortcomings of these existing models. Disease-specific considerations for a prospective methodological pipeline will also be discussed in the context of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Conley
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jay R Perry
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bruce Ashford
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marie Ranson
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
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Daniel SK, Sullivan KM, Dickerson LK, van den Bijgaart RJE, Utria AF, Labadie KP, Kenerson HL, Jiang X, Smythe KS, Campbell JS, Pierce RH, Kim TS, Riehle KJ, Yeung RS, Carter JA, Barry KC, Pillarisetty VG. Reversing immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment of fibrolamellar carcinoma via PD-1 and IL-10 blockade. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5109. [PMID: 38429349 PMCID: PMC10907637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55593-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver tumor driven by the DNAJ-PKAc fusion protein that affects healthy young patients. Little is known about the immune response to FLC, limiting rational design of immunotherapy. Multiplex immunohistochemistry and gene expression profiling were performed to characterize the FLC tumor immune microenvironment and adjacent non-tumor liver (NTL). Flow cytometry and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing were performed to determine the phenotype of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and the extent of T cell clonal expansion. Fresh human FLC tumor slice cultures (TSCs) were treated with antibodies blocking programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), with results measured by cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. Immune cells were concentrated in fibrous stromal bands, rather than in the carcinoma cell compartment. In FLC, T cells demonstrated decreased activation and regulatory T cells in FLC had more frequent expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 than in NTL. Furthermore, T cells had relatively low levels of clonal expansion despite high TCR conservation across individuals. Combination PD-1 and IL-10 blockade signficantly increased cell death in human FLC TSCs. Immunosuppresion in the FLC tumor microenvironment is characterized by T cell exclusion and exhaustion, which may be reversible with combination immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Daniel
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K M Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - L K Dickerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - R J E van den Bijgaart
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A F Utria
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K P Labadie
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - H L Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - X Jiang
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K S Smythe
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J S Campbell
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - R H Pierce
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - T S Kim
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K J Riehle
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - R S Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - J A Carter
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K C Barry
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - V G Pillarisetty
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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Perry JR, Genenger B, Thind AS, Ashford B, Ranson M. PIK Your Poison: The Effects of Combining PI3K and CDK Inhibitors against Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:370. [PMID: 38254859 PMCID: PMC10814950 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a very common skin malignancy with poor prognosis for patients with locally advanced or metastatic cSCC (mcSCC). PI3K/AKT/mTOR and cell cycle signalling pathways are often dysregulated in mcSCC. A combination drug approach has been theorised to overcome the underwhelming clinical performance of targeted inhibitors as single agents. This study investigates the potential of targeted inhibition of the p110α-subunit of PI3K with PIK-75 or BGT226 (P13Ki), and of CDK1/2/5/9 with dinaciclib (CDKi) as single agents and in combination. The patient-derived mcSCC cell lines, UW-CSCC1 and UW-CSCC2, were used to assess cell viability, migration, cell signalling, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis. PIK-75, BGT226, and dinaciclib exhibited strong cytotoxic potency as single agents. Notably, the non-malignant HaCaT cell line was unaffected. In 2D cultures, PIK-75 synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effects of dinaciclib in UW-CSCC2, but not UW-CSCC1. Interestingly, this pattern was reversed in 3D spheroid models. Despite the combination of PIK-75 and dinaciclib resulting in an increase in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and reduced cell motility, these differences were largely negligible compared to their single-agent counterpart. The differential responses between the cell lines correlated with driver gene mutation profiles. These findings suggest that personalised medicine approaches targeting PI3K and CDK pathways in combination may yield some benefit for mcSCC, and that more complex 3D models should be considered for drug responsiveness studies in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay R. Perry
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizon, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; (B.G.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Benjamin Genenger
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizon, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; (B.G.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Amarinder Singh Thind
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizon, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; (B.G.); (A.S.T.)
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia;
| | - Bruce Ashford
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia;
- Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Marie Ranson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizon, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; (B.G.); (A.S.T.)
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10
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Sathe A, Ayala C, Bai X, Grimes SM, Lee B, Kin C, Shelton A, Poultsides G, Ji HP. GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy provokes divergent multicellular responses in the tumor microenvironment of gastrointestinal cancers. Genome Med 2023; 15:100. [PMID: 38008725 PMCID: PMC10680277 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the mechanistic effects of novel immunotherapy agents is critical to improving their successful clinical translation. These effects need to be studied in preclinical models that maintain the heterogenous tumor microenvironment (TME) and dysfunctional cell states found in a patient's tumor. We investigated immunotherapy perturbations targeting co-stimulatory molecule GITR and co-inhibitory immune checkpoint TIGIT in a patient-derived ex vivo system that maintains the TME in its near-native state. Leveraging single-cell genomics, we identified cell type-specific transcriptional reprogramming in response to immunotherapy perturbations. METHODS We generated ex vivo tumor slice cultures from fresh surgical resections of gastric and colon cancer and treated them with GITR agonist or TIGIT antagonist antibodies. We applied paired single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing to the original surgical resections, control, and treated ex vivo tumor slice cultures. We additionally confirmed target expression using multiplex immunofluorescence and validated our findings with RNA in situ hybridization. RESULTS We confirmed that tumor slice cultures maintained the cell types, transcriptional cell states and proportions of the original surgical resection. The GITR agonist was limited to increasing effector gene expression only in cytotoxic CD8 T cells. Dysfunctional exhausted CD8 T cells did not respond to GITR agonist. In contrast, the TIGIT antagonist increased TCR signaling and activated both cytotoxic and dysfunctional CD8 T cells. This included cells corresponding to TCR clonotypes with features indicative of potential tumor antigen reactivity. The TIGIT antagonist also activated T follicular helper-like cells and dendritic cells, and reduced markers of immunosuppression in regulatory T cells. CONCLUSIONS We identified novel cellular mechanisms of action of GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy in the patients' TME. Unlike the GITR agonist that generated a limited transcriptional response, TIGIT antagonist orchestrated a multicellular response involving CD8 T cells, T follicular helper-like cells, dendritic cells, and regulatory T cells. Our experimental strategy combining single-cell genomics with preclinical models can successfully identify mechanisms of action of novel immunotherapy agents. Understanding the cellular and transcriptional mechanisms of response or resistance will aid in prioritization of targets and their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Sathe
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CCSR 2245, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Carlos Ayala
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiangqi Bai
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CCSR 2245, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Susan M Grimes
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CCSR 2245, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Byrne Lee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cindy Kin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Shelton
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - George Poultsides
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hanlee P Ji
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CCSR 2245, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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11
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Barachini S, Morelli M, Santonocito OS, Mazzanti CM. Preclinical glioma models in neuro-oncology: enhancing translational research. Curr Opin Oncol 2023; 35:536-542. [PMID: 37820088 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000000997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Gliomas represent approximately 25% of all primary brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors and 81% of malignant tumors. Unfortunately, standard treatment approaches for most CNS cancers have shown limited improvement in patient survival rates. RECENT FINDINGS The current drug development process has been plagued by high failure rates, leading to a shift towards human disease models in biomedical research. Unfortunately, suitable preclinical models for brain tumors have been lacking, hampering our understanding of tumor initiation processes and the discovery of effective treatments. In this review, we will explore the diverse preclinical models employed in neuro-oncology research and their contributions to translational science. SUMMARY By utilizing a combination of these preclinical models and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, researchers can deepen their understanding of glioma brain tumors and develop novel therapeutic strategies to combat these devastating diseases. These models offer promising prospects for personalized and efficacious treatments for these challenging malignancies. Although it is unrealistic to fully replicate the complexity of the human body in vitro, the ultimate goal should be to achieve the closest possible resemblance to the clinical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Barachini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa
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Carranza-Rosales P, Valencia-Mercado D, Esquivel-Hernández O, González-Geroniz MI, Bañuelos-García JI, Castruita-Ávila AL, Sánchez-Prieto MA, Viveros-Valdez E, Morán-Martínez J, Balderas-Rentería I, Guzmán-Delgado NE, Carranza-Torres IE. Breast Cancer Tissue Explants: An Approach to Develop Personalized Therapy in Public Health Services. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1521. [PMID: 37888132 PMCID: PMC10608341 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13101521] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Lately, there is great interest in developing methods that assess individual sensitivity and/or resistance of tumors to antineoplastics to provide personalized therapy for patients. In this study we used organotypic culture of human breast tumor slices to predict the experimental effect of antineoplastics on the viability of tumoral tissue. Samples of breast tumor were taken from 27 patients with clinically advanced breast cancer; slices were obtained and incubated separately for 48 h with paclitaxel, docetaxel, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and cell culture media (control). We determined an experimental tumor sensitivity/resistance (S/R) profile by evaluating tissue viability using the Alamar Blue® metabolic test, and by structural viability (histopathological analyses, necrosis, and inflammation). These parameters were related to immunohistochemical expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The predominant histological type found was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (85.2%), followed by lobular carcinoma (7.4%) and mixed carcinoma (7.4%). Experimental drug resistance was related to positive hormone receptor status in 83% of samples treated with cyclophosphamide (p = 0.027). Results suggest that the tumor S/R profile can help to predict personalized therapy or optimize chemotherapeutic treatments in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Carranza-Rosales
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noreste, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Calle Jesús Dionisio González # 501, Col. Independencia, Monterrey 64720, NL, Mexico;
| | - Daniel Valencia-Mercado
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 23, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Avenida Constitución y Félix U, Gómez s/n, Colonia Centro, Monterrey 64000, NL, Mexico; (D.V.-M.); (O.E.-H.); (M.I.G.-G.); (J.I.B.-G.)
| | - Olga Esquivel-Hernández
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 23, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Avenida Constitución y Félix U, Gómez s/n, Colonia Centro, Monterrey 64000, NL, Mexico; (D.V.-M.); (O.E.-H.); (M.I.G.-G.); (J.I.B.-G.)
| | - Manuel Ismael González-Geroniz
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 23, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Avenida Constitución y Félix U, Gómez s/n, Colonia Centro, Monterrey 64000, NL, Mexico; (D.V.-M.); (O.E.-H.); (M.I.G.-G.); (J.I.B.-G.)
| | - José Inocente Bañuelos-García
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 23, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Avenida Constitución y Félix U, Gómez s/n, Colonia Centro, Monterrey 64000, NL, Mexico; (D.V.-M.); (O.E.-H.); (M.I.G.-G.); (J.I.B.-G.)
| | - Ana Lilia Castruita-Ávila
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades No. 25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av Fidel Velázquez s/n, Mitras Nte., Monterrey 64180, NL, Mexico; (A.L.C.-Á.); (M.A.S.-P.)
| | - Mario Alberto Sánchez-Prieto
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades No. 25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av Fidel Velázquez s/n, Mitras Nte., Monterrey 64180, NL, Mexico; (A.L.C.-Á.); (M.A.S.-P.)
| | - Ezequiel Viveros-Valdez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Pedro de Alba s/n, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, NL, Mexico;
| | - Javier Morán-Martínez
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Ultraestructura, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Av. Morelos 900-Oriente, Primera de Cobián Centro, Torreón 27000, CH, Mexico;
| | - Isaías Balderas-Rentería
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Pedro de Alba s/n, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, NL, Mexico;
| | - Nancy Elena Guzmán-Delgado
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Cardiología No. 34, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Lincoln S/N, Col. Valle Verde 2do. Sector, Monterrey 64360, NL, Mexico
| | - Irma Edith Carranza-Torres
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noreste, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Calle Jesús Dionisio González # 501, Col. Independencia, Monterrey 64720, NL, Mexico;
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Pedro de Alba s/n, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, NL, Mexico;
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13
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Mui M, Clark M, Vu TMSH, Clemons N, Hollande F, Roth S, Ramsay R, Michael M, Heriot AG, Kong JCH. Use of patient-derived explants as a preclinical model for precision medicine in colorectal cancer: A scoping review. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2023; 408:392. [PMID: 37816905 PMCID: PMC10564805 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-023-03133-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Whilst the treatment paradigm for colorectal cancer has evolved significantly over time, there is still a lack of reliable biomarkers of treatment response. Treatment decisions are based on high-risk features such as advanced TNM stage and histology. The role of the tumour microenvironment, which can influence tumour progression and treatment response, has generated considerable interest. Patient-derived explant cultures allow preservation of native tissue architecture and tumour microenvironment. The aim of the scoping review is to evaluate the utility of patient-derived explant cultures as a preclinical model in colorectal cancer. METHODS A search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases from start of database records to September 1, 2022. We included all peer-reviewed human studies in English language which used patient-derived explants as a preclinical model in primary colorectal cancer. Eligible studies were grouped into the following categories: assessing model feasibility; exploring tumour microenvironment; assessing ex vivo drug responses; discovering and validating biomarkers. RESULTS A total of 60 studies were eligible. Fourteen studies demonstrated feasibility of using patient-derived explants as a preclinical model. Ten studies explored the tumour microenvironment. Thirty-eight studies assessed ex vivo drug responses of chemotherapy agents and targeted therapies. Twenty-four studies identified potential biomarkers of treatment response. CONCLUSIONS Given the preservation of tumour microenvironment and tumour heterogeneity, patient-derived explants has the potential to identify reliable biomarkers, treatment resistance mechanisms, and novel therapeutic agents. Further validation studies are required to characterise, refine and standardise this preclinical model before it can become a part of precision medicine in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milton Mui
- Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Molly Clark
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tamara M S H Vu
- Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas Clemons
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frédéric Hollande
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sara Roth
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert Ramsay
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Michael
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alexander G Heriot
- Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joseph C H Kong
- Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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14
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Huang YL, Dickerson LK, Kenerson H, Jiang X, Pillarisetty V, Tian Q, Hood L, Gujral TS, Yeung RS. Organotypic Models for Functional Drug Testing of Human Cancers. BME FRONTIERS 2023; 4:0022. [PMID: 37849667 PMCID: PMC10275620 DOI: 10.34133/bmef.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In the era of personalized oncology, there have been accelerated efforts to develop clinically relevant platforms to test drug sensitivities of individual cancers. An ideal assay will serve as a diagnostic companion to inform the oncologist of the various treatments that are sensitive and insensitive, thus improving outcome while minimizing unnecessary toxicities and costs. To date, no such platform exists for clinical use, but promising approaches are on the horizon that take advantage of improved techniques in creating human cancer models that encompass the entire tumor microenvironment, alongside technologies for assessing and analyzing tumor response. This review summarizes a number of current strategies that make use of intact human cancer tissues as organotypic cultures in drug sensitivity testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ling Huang
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Heidi Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiuyun Jiang
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Qiang Tian
- National Research Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Leroy Hood
- Institute for Systems Biology, Phenome Health Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Taranjit S. Gujral
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raymond S. Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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15
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Siwczak F, Hiller C, Pfannkuche H, Schneider MR. Culture of vibrating microtome tissue slices as a 3D model in biomedical research. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:36. [PMID: 37264444 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The basic idea behind the use of 3-dimensional (3D) tools in biomedical research is the assumption that the structures under study will perform at the best in vitro if cultivated in an environment that is as similar as possible to their natural in vivo embedding. Tissue slicing fulfills this premise optimally: it is an accessible, unexpensive, imaging-friendly, and technically rather simple procedure which largely preserves the extracellular matrix and includes all or at least most supportive cell types in the correct tissue architecture with little cellular damage. Vibrating microtomes (vibratomes) can further improve the quality of the generated slices because of the lateral, saw-like movement of the blade, which significantly reduces tissue pulling or tearing compared to a straight cut. In spite of its obvious advantages, vibrating microtome slices are rather underrepresented in the current discussion on 3D tools, which is dominated by methods as organoids, organ-on-chip and bioprinting. Here, we review the development of vibrating microtome tissue slices, the major technical features underlying its application, as well as its current use and potential advances, such as a combination with novel microfluidic culture chambers. Once fully integrated into the 3D toolbox, tissue slices may significantly contribute to decrease the use of laboratory animals and is likely to have a strong impact on basic and translational research as well as drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatina Siwczak
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 7, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlotte Hiller
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 7, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helga Pfannkuche
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 7, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marlon R Schneider
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 7, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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16
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Chen K, Li Y, Wang B, Yan X, Tao Y, Song W, Xi Z, He K, Xia Q. Patient-derived models facilitate precision medicine in liver cancer by remodeling cell-matrix interaction. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1101324. [PMID: 37215109 PMCID: PMC10192760 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1101324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is an aggressive tumor originating in the liver with a dismal prognosis. Current evidence suggests that liver cancer is the fifth most prevalent cancer worldwide and the second most deadly type of malignancy. Tumor heterogeneity accounts for the differences in drug responses among patients, emphasizing the importance of precision medicine. Patient-derived models of cancer are widely used preclinical models to study precision medicine since they preserve tumor heterogeneity ex vivo in the study of many cancers. Patient-derived models preserving cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions better recapitulate in vivo conditions, including patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), precision-cut liver slices (PCLSs), patient-derived organoids (PDOs), and patient-derived tumor spheroids (PDTSs). In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the different modalities used to establish preclinical models for precision medicine in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwen Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanran Li
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingran Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuehan Yan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiying Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weizhou Song
- Ottawa-Shanghai Joint School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhifeng Xi
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Kang He
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
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17
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Zhao J, Fong A, Seow SV, Toh HC. Organoids as an Enabler of Precision Immuno-Oncology. Cells 2023; 12:1165. [PMID: 37190074 PMCID: PMC10136954 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the dawn of the past century, landmark discoveries in cell-mediated immunity have led to a greater understanding of the innate and adaptive immune systems and revolutionised the treatment of countless diseases, including cancer. Today, precision immuno-oncology (I/O) involves not only targeting immune checkpoints that inhibit T-cell immunity but also harnessing immune cell therapies. The limited efficacy in some cancers results mainly from a complex tumour microenvironment (TME) that, in addition to adaptive immune cells, comprises innate myeloid and lymphoid cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and the tumour vasculature that contribute towards immune evasion. As the complexity of TME has called for more sophisticated human-based tumour models, organoids have allowed the dynamic study of spatiotemporal interactions between tumour cells and individual TME cell types. Here, we discuss how organoids can study the TME across cancers and how these features may improve precision I/O. We outline the approaches to preserve or recapitulate the TME in tumour organoids and discuss their potential, advantages, and limitations. We will discuss future directions of organoid research in understanding cancer immunology in-depth and identifying novel I/O targets and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhe Zhao
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore 168583, Singapore
- Doctor of Medicine Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Antoinette Fong
- Doctor of Medicine Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - See Voon Seow
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore 168583, Singapore
| | - Han Chong Toh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore 168583, Singapore
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18
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Sathe A, Ayala C, Bai X, Grimes SM, Lee B, Kin C, Shelton A, Poultsides G, Ji HP. GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy provokes divergent multi-cellular responses in the tumor microenvironment of gastrointestinal cancers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.13.532299. [PMID: 36993756 PMCID: PMC10054933 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.13.532299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the cellular mechanisms of novel immunotherapy agents in the human tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical to their clinical success. We examined GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy in gastric and colon cancer patients using ex vivo slice tumor slice cultures derived from cancer surgical resections. This primary culture system maintains the original TME in a near-native state. We applied paired single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing to identify cell type specific transcriptional reprogramming. The GITR agonist was limited to increasing effector gene expression only in cytotoxic CD8 T cells. The TIGIT antagonist increased TCR signaling and activated both cytotoxic and dysfunctional CD8 T cells, including clonotypes indicative of potential tumor antigen reactivity. The TIGIT antagonist also activated T follicular helper-like cells and dendritic cells, and reduced markers of immunosuppression in regulatory T cells. Overall, we identified cellular mechanisms of action of these two immunotherapy targets in the patients' TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Sathe
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Carlos Ayala
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Xiangqi Bai
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Susan M. Grimes
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Byrne Lee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Cindy Kin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Andrew Shelton
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - George Poultsides
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Hanlee P. Ji
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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Greier MDC, Runge A, Dudas J, Carpentari L, Schartinger VH, Randhawa A, Mayr M, Petersson M, Riechelmann H. Optimizing culturing conditions in patient derived 3D primary slice cultures of head and neck cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1145817. [PMID: 37064104 PMCID: PMC10101142 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1145817] [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: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Three-dimensional primary slice cultures (SC) of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNC) are realistic preclinical models. Until now, preserving structure and viability ex vivo for several days has been difficult. The aim of this study was to optimize cultivation conditions for HNC SC and analyze the added effects of platelet rich fibrin (PRF) on these conditions. Methods SC were prepared from the tumor biopsies of 9 HNC patients. Cultures were incubated for 1 and 7 days in three different media- Keratinocyte serum-free medium (SFM), RPMI-1640i, and 1:1 mix of both, with and without addition of PRF. After culturing, SC were fixated, embedded, and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) and cleaved caspase-3. In addition, triple immune fluorescence staining for cytokeratin, vimentin and CD45 was performed. Outcome parameters were cell count and cell density, viability and apoptosis, SC total area and proportions of keratinocytes, mesenchymal and immune cells. The effects of culture time, medium, and addition of PRF were calculated in an SPSS generalized linear model and using the Wald Chi-Squared test. Results Ninety-four slice cultures were analyzed. Viability remained stable for 7 days in culture. After addition of PRF, cell viability increased (p=0.05). SC total area decreased (0.44 ± 0.04 mm2 on day 1 (95% CI: 0.35 to 0.56) to 0.29 ± 0.03 mm2 on day 7 (95% CI: 0.22 to 0.36), but cell density and cell proportions remained stable. Differences in cultivation media had no significant impact on outcome parameters. Conclusion HNC SC can be preserved for up to 7 days using the tested cultivation media. Cell viability was best preserved with addition of PRF. HNC SC are a versatile experimental tool to study physiology and drug actions. Autologous PRF can help simulate realistic conditions in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria do Carmo Greier
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Annette Runge
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- *Correspondence: Annette Runge,
| | - Jozsef Dudas
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Carpentari
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Volker Hans Schartinger
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Avneet Randhawa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Herbert Riechelmann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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20
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Role of Patient-Derived Models of Cancer in Translational Oncology. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010139. [PMID: 36612135 PMCID: PMC9817860 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Each individual tumor is unique and characterized by structural, cellular, genetic and molecular features. Therefore, patient-derived cancer models are indispensable tools in cancer research and have been actively introduced into the healthcare system. For instance, patient-derived models provide a good reproducibility of susceptibility and resistance of cancer cells against drugs, allowing personalized therapy for patients. In this article, we review the advantages and disadvantages of the following patient-derived models of cancer: (1) PDC-patient-derived cell culture, (2) PDS-patient-derived spheroids and PDO-patient-derived organoids, (3) PDTSC-patient-derived tissue slice cultures, (4) PDX-patient-derived xenografts, humanized PDX, as well as PDXC-PDX-derived cell cultures and PDXO-PDX-derived organoids. We also provide an overview of current clinical investigations and new developments in the area of patient-derived cancer models. Moreover, attention is paid to databases of patient-derived cancer models, which are collected in specialized repositories. We believe that the widespread use of patient-derived cancer models will improve our knowledge in cancer cell biology and contribute to the development of more effective personalized cancer treatment strategies.
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21
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Nascentes Melo LM, Lesner NP, Sabatier M, Ubellacker JM, Tasdogan A. Emerging metabolomic tools to study cancer metastasis. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:988-1001. [PMID: 35909026 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is responsible for 90% of deaths in patients with cancer. Understanding the role of metabolism during metastasis has been limited by the development of robust and sensitive technologies that capture metabolic processes in metastasizing cancer cells. We discuss the current technologies available to study (i) metabolism in primary and metastatic cancer cells and (ii) metabolic interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) at different stages of the metastatic cascade. We identify advantages and disadvantages of each method and discuss how these tools and technologies will further improve our understanding of metastasis. Studies investigating the complex metabolic rewiring of different cells using state-of-the-art metabolomic technologies have the potential to reveal novel biological processes and therapeutic interventions for human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas P Lesner
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marie Sabatier
- Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessalyn M Ubellacker
- Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Alpaslan Tasdogan
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen and German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site, Essen, Germany.
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22
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Schueler J, Borenstein J, Buti L, Dong M, Masmoudi F, Hribar K, Anderson E, Sommergruber W. How to build a tumor: An industry perspective. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103329. [PMID: 35908685 PMCID: PMC9585375 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
During the past 15 years, a plethora of innovative 3D in vitro systems has been developed. They offer the possibility of identifying crucial cellular and molecular contributors to the disease by permitting manipulation of each in isolation. However, improvements are needed particularly with respect to the predictivity and validity of those models. The major challenge now is to identify which assay and readout combination(s) best suits the current scientific question(s). A deep understanding of the different platforms along with their pros and cons is a prerequisite to make this decision. This review aims to give an overview of the most prominent systems with a focus on applications, translational relevance and adoption drivers from an industry perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Schueler
- Charles River Discovery Research Services Germany GmbH, Freiburg, Germany,Corresponding author.
| | | | | | - Meng Dong
- Dr Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
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23
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Patient-derived head and neck tumor slice cultures: a versatile tool to study oncolytic virus action. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15334. [PMID: 36097280 PMCID: PMC9467994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19555-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer etiology and architecture is quite diverse and complex, impeding the prediction whether a patient could respond to a particular cancer immunotherapy or combination treatment. A concomitantly arising caveat is obviously the translation from pre-clinical, cell based in vitro systems as well as syngeneic murine tumor models towards the heterogeneous architecture of the human tumor ecosystems. To bridge this gap, we have established and employed a patient-derived HNSCC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) slice culturing system to assess immunomodulatory effects as well as permissivity and oncolytic virus (OV) action. The heterogeneous contexture of the human tumor ecosystem including tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells was preserved in our HNSCC slice culturing approach. Importantly, the immune cell compartment remained to be functional and cytotoxic T-cells could be activated by immunostimulatory antibodies. In addition, we uncovered that a high proportion of the patient-derived HNSCC slice cultures were susceptible to the OV VSV-GP. More specifically, VSV-GP infects a broad spectrum of tumor-associated lineages including epithelial and stromal cells and can induce apoptosis. In sum, this human tumor ex vivo platform might complement pre-clinical studies to eventually propel cancer immune-related drug discovery and ease the translation to the clinics.
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24
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Genta S, Coburn B, Cescon DW, Spreafico A. Patient-derived cancer models: Valuable platforms for anticancer drug testing. Front Oncol 2022; 12:976065. [PMID: 36033445 PMCID: PMC9413077 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.976065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecularly targeted treatments and immunotherapy are cornerstones in oncology, with demonstrated efficacy across different tumor types. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority metastatic disease is incurable due to the onset of drug resistance. Preclinical models including genetically engineered mouse models, patient-derived xenografts and two- and three-dimensional cell cultures have emerged as a useful resource to study mechanisms of cancer progression and predict efficacy of anticancer drugs. However, variables including tumor heterogeneity and the complexities of the microenvironment can impair the faithfulness of these platforms. Here, we will discuss advantages and limitations of these preclinical models, their applicability for drug testing and in co-clinical trials and potential strategies to increase their reliability in predicting responsiveness to anticancer medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Genta
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bryan Coburn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David W. Cescon
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Spreafico
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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25
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Combined Application of Patient-Derived Cells and Biomaterials as 3D In Vitro Tumor Models. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14102503. [PMID: 35626107 PMCID: PMC9139582 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102503] [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: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary For years, cancer has remained the second leading cause of death in U.S. and Europe even though cancer mortality has decreased, as new advances in medical treatment have made this decrease possible. Chemotherapy has remained the gold standard and “one-size-fits-all” treatment for cancer, yet this approach has lacked precision and, at times, failed. Recent studies attempt to mimic the spatial microenvironment of cancer tissue to better study chemotherapy agents by combining patient-derived cells and three-dimensional (3D) scaffold, bioprinting, spheroid, and hydrogel culturing. This commentary aims to collect and discuss recent findings concerning the combined application of biomaterials with patient-derived cancer cells to better study and test therapies in vitro, that will further personalize and facilitate the treatment of various cancers, and also address the limitation and challenges in developing these 3D models. Abstract Although advances have been made in cancer therapy, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and Europe, and thus efforts to continue to study and discover better treatment methods are ongoing. Three-dimensional (3D) tumor models have shown advantages over bi-dimensional (2D) cultures in evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapy. This commentary aims to highlight the potential of combined application of biomaterials with patient-derived cancer cells as a 3D in vitro model for the study and treatment of cancer patients. Five studies were discussed which demonstrate and provided early evidence to create 3D models with accurate microenvironments that are comparable to in vivo tumors. To date, the use of patient-derived cells for a more personalized approach to healthcare in combination with biomaterials to create a 3D tumor is still relatively new and uncommon for application in clinics. Although highly promising, it is important to acknowledge the current limitations and challenges of developing these innovative in vitro models, including the need for biologists and laboratory technicians to become familiar with biomaterial scaffolds, and the effort for bioengineers to create easy-to-handle scaffolds for routine assessment.
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26
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Precision-Cut Tumor Slices (PCTS) as an Ex Vivo Model in Immunotherapy Research. Antibodies (Basel) 2022; 11:antib11020026. [PMID: 35466279 PMCID: PMC9036232 DOI: 10.3390/antib11020026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision-cut tumor slices (PCTS) have recently emerged as important ex vivo human tumor models, offering the opportunity to study individual patient responses to targeted immunotherapies, including CAR-T cell therapies. In this review, an outline of different human tumor models available in laboratory settings is provided, with a focus on the unique characteristics of PCTS. Standard PCTS generation and maintenance procedures are outlined, followed by an in-depth overview of PCTS utilization in preclinical research aiming to better understand the unique functional characteristics of cytotoxic T cells within human tumors. Furthermore, recent studies using PCTS as an ex vivo model for predicting patient responses to immunotherapies and other targeted therapies against solid tumors are thoroughly presented. Finally, the advantages and limitations of the PCTS models are discussed. PCTS are expected to gain momentum and be fully utilized as a significant tool towards better patient stratification and personalized medicine.
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27
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Templeton AR, Jeffery PL, Thomas PB, Perera MPJ, Ng G, Calabrese AR, Nicholls C, Mackenzie NJ, Wood J, Bray LJ, Vela I, Thompson EW, Williams ED. Patient-Derived Explants as a Precision Medicine Patient-Proximal Testing Platform Informing Cancer Management. Front Oncol 2022; 11:767697. [PMID: 34988013 PMCID: PMC8721047 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.767697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine approaches that inform clinical management of individuals with cancer are progressively advancing. Patient-derived explants (PDEs) provide a patient-proximal ex vivo platform that can be used to assess sensitivity to standard of care (SOC) therapies and novel agents. PDEs have several advantages as a patient-proximal model compared to current preclinical models, as they maintain the phenotype and microenvironment of the individual tumor. However, the longevity of PDEs is not compatible with the timeframe required to incorporate candidate therapeutic options identified by whole exome sequencing (WES) of the patient’s tumor. This review investigates how PDE longevity varies across tumor streams and how this is influenced by tissue preparation. Improving longevity of PDEs will enable individualized therapeutics testing, and thus contribute to improving outcomes for people with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby R Templeton
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Penny L Jeffery
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Patrick B Thomas
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Mahasha P J Perera
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gary Ng
- Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Alivia R Calabrese
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Clarissa Nicholls
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Nathan J Mackenzie
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jack Wood
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Laura J Bray
- Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian Vela
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Elizabeth D Williams
- School of Biomedical Sciences at the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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28
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Domenici G, Trindade G, Estrada MF, Cartaxo AL, Alves PM, André S, Brito C. Patient-Derived Breast Cancer Tissue Cultures for Anti-Endocrine Drug Assays. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2535:11-31. [PMID: 35867219 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2513-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous pathology, characterized by a variety of histological and molecular phenotypes. The majority of the breast cancers express the estrogen receptor alpha (ER), which plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology of the disease and are therefore classified as ER-positive (ER+). In fact, targeting of the ER signaling pathway is the main therapeutic strategy for ER+ breast cancer. Despite the success of endocrine therapy, intrinsic and acquired resistance are reported in 30-50% of the ER+ breast cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying ER heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance are far from being fully disclosed, and efficacious clinical strategies to overcome resistance are still pending. One of the hurdles in studying ER+ breast cancer resistance is related with the scarcity of experimental models that can recapitulate ER heterogeneity and signaling. This is the case of ER+ breast cancer cell models, typically based on cells derived from metastasis, which also fail to recapitulate tumor complexity. Primary cultures of patient-derived breast cancer cells are difficult to establish, and generally characterized by stromal fibroblasts overgrowth and rapid loss of phenotypic and molecular traits of the tumor cells, including ER expression. Ex vivo cultures of breast cancer tissue have been reported to retain the tissue architecture, with preservation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and ER expression for short periods of time.Given the cumulating evidence on the role of the TME in sustaining ER+ tumor cells, we hypothesized that TME preservation in culture would favor the long-term retention of ER expression and signaling. We employed alginate encapsulation to provide a supporting scaffold to breast cancer tissue microstructures, coupled to dynamic culture to improve the lifespan of the culture by avoiding diffusional limitations. In this chapter, we provide a detailed description of this culture methodology, which has been previously published by our group (Cartaxo et al., J Exp Clin Cancer Res 39:161, 2020), based on electrostatically driven breast cancer tissue encapsulation in alginate, coupled to culture under agitation in a defined culture medium. We also describe challenge of the ex vivo model with an ER activator and inhibitors (anti-endocrine drugs) and a gene expression endpoint of drug response using reverse transcription PCR-based analysis of three distinct genes downstream of ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Domenici
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Trindade
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marta F Estrada
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Cartaxo
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Saudade André
- IPOLFG, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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29
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Claridge SE, Cavallo JA, Hopkins BD. Patient-Derived In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1361:215-233. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-91836-1_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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30
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Sükei T, Palma E, Urbani L. Interplay between Cellular and Non-Cellular Components of the Tumour Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5586. [PMID: 34771746 PMCID: PMC8583132 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215586] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. Currently, treatments available for advanced HCC provide dismal chances of survival, thus there is an urgent need to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. While much of the focus of recent decades has been on targeting malignant cells, promising results have emerged from targeting the tumour microenvironment (TME). The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the main non-cellular component of the TME and it profoundly changes during tumorigenesis to promote the growth and survival of malignant cells. Despite this, many in vitro models for drug testing fail to consider the TME leading to a high failure rate in clinical trials. Here, we present an overview of the function and properties of the ECM in the liver and how these change during malignant transformation. We also discuss the relationship between immune cells and ECM in the TME in HCC. Lastly, we present advanced, 3D culture techniques of cancer modelling and argue that the incorporation of TME components into these is essential to better recapitulate the complex interactions within the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Sükei
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London SE5 9NT, UK; (T.S.); (E.P.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Elena Palma
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London SE5 9NT, UK; (T.S.); (E.P.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Luca Urbani
- The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London SE5 9NT, UK; (T.S.); (E.P.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
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31
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Arakaki AKS, Szulzewsky F, Gilbert MR, Gujral TS, Holland EC. Utilizing preclinical models to develop targeted therapies for rare central nervous system cancers. Neuro Oncol 2021; 23:S4-S15. [PMID: 34725698 PMCID: PMC8561121 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors typically have a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Historically, these cancers have been difficult to study due to small number of patients. Recent technological advances have identified molecular drivers of some of these rare cancers which we can now use to generate representative preclinical models of these diseases. In this review, we outline the advantages and disadvantages of different models, emphasizing the utility of various in vitro and ex vivo models for target discovery and mechanistic inquiry and multiple in vivo models for therapeutic validation. We also highlight recent literature on preclinical model generation and screening approaches for ependymomas, histone mutated high-grade gliomas, and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors, all of which are rare CNS cancers that have recently established genetic or epigenetic drivers. These preclinical models are critical to advancing targeted therapeutics for these rare CNS cancers that currently rely on conventional treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleena K S Arakaki
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Frank Szulzewsky
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mark R Gilbert
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eric C Holland
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
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32
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Nivolumab Reduces PD1 Expression and Alters Density and Proliferation of Tumor Infiltrating Immune Cells in a Tissue Slice Culture Model of Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13184511. [PMID: 34572738 PMCID: PMC8471479 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a first-choice therapy option in the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). A predictive biomarker is urgently needed since not all patients respond and adverse events occur. Therefore, an ex vivo tissue slice culture (TSC) model was tested to investigate the effects of nivolumab on tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIIC). A decrease in programmed death receptor 1 expression, as well as effects on density and proliferation of TIIC, were observed. Thus, the TSC model could serve as a test platform for response prediction to ICIs. Abstract Background: In the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), nivolumab is an established component of the first-line therapy with a favorable impact on progression free survival and overall survival. However, treatment-related adverse effects occur and, to date, there is no approved predictive biomarker for patient stratification. Thus, the aim of this study was to establish an ex vivo tissue slice culture model of ccRCC and to elucidate the impact of nivolumab on tumor infiltrating immune cells. Methods: Fresh tumor tissue of ccRCC was treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab using ex vivo tissue slice culture (TSC). After cultivation, tissue slices were formalin-fixed, immunohistochemically stained and analyzed via digital image analysis. Results: The TSC model was shown to be suitable for ex vivo pharmacological experiments on intratumoral immune cells in ccRCC. PD1 expression on tumor infiltrating immune cells was dose-dependently reduced after nivolumab treatment (p < 0.01), whereas density and proliferation of tumor infiltrating T-cells and cytotoxic T-cells were inter-individually altered with a remarkable variability. Tumor cell proliferation was not affected by nivolumab. Conclusions: This study could demonstrate nivolumab-dependent effects on PD1 expression and tumor infiltrating T-cells in TSC of ccRCC. This is in line with results from other scientific studies about changes in immune cell proliferation in peripheral blood in response to nivolumab. Thus, TSC of ccRCC could be a further step to personalized medicine in terms of testing the response of individual patients to nivolumab.
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33
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Supadmanaba IGP, Comandatore A, Morelli L, Giovannetti E, Lagerweij T. Organotypic-liver slide culture systems to explore the role of extracellular vesicles in pancreatic cancer metastatic behavior and guide new therapeutic approaches. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2021; 17:937-946. [PMID: 33945374 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2021.1925646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Recent studies suggested that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role both in the metastatic niche formation and in the progression of several tumors, including pancreatic cancer. In particular, the effects of EVs on metastasis should be studied in model systems that take into account both the tumor cells and the metastatic site/tumor microenvironment. Studies with labeled EVs or EV-secreting cells in ex vivo models will reflect the physiological and pathological functions of EVs. The organotypic-tissue slide culture systems can fulfill such a role.Areas covered: This review provides an overview of available organotypic-culture slide systems. We specifically focus on the assay system of liver culture-slides in combination with pancreatic tumors, which can be modulated to test the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches.Expert opinion: The intercellular exchange of EVs has emerged as a biologically relevant phenomenon to drive cancer metastasis. However, further models need to be developed to better elucidate the functional roles of EVs. The use of novel organotypic slide culture systems provides the opportunity to explore the role of EVs in the metastatic behavior of pancreatic cancer, decreasing the use of costly and cumbersome organoid or animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Gede Putu Supadmanaba
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
| | - Annalisa Comandatore
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Morelli
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Pharmacology Lab, AIRC Start-Up Unit, Fondazione Pisana per La Scienza, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tonny Lagerweij
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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34
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Heinrich MA, Mostafa AMRH, Morton JP, Hawinkels LJAC, Prakash J. Translating complexity and heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor: 3D in vitro to in vivo models. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 174:265-293. [PMID: 33895214 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive type of cancer with an overall survival rate of less than 7-8%, emphasizing the need for novel effective therapeutics against PDAC. However only a fraction of therapeutics which seemed promising in the laboratory environment will eventually reach the clinic. One of the main reasons behind this low success rate is the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, a highly fibrotic and dense stroma surrounding tumor cells, which supports tumor progression as well as increases the resistance against the treatment. In particular, the growing understanding of the PDAC TME points out a different challenge in the development of efficient therapeutics - a lack of biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models that resemble the complexity and heterogeneity of PDAC observed in patients. The purpose and scope of this review is to provide an overview of the recent developments in different in vitro and in vivo models, which aim to recapitulate the complexity of PDAC in a laboratory environment, as well to describe how 3D in vitro models can be integrated into drug development pipelines that are already including sophisticated in vivo models. Hereby a special focus will be given on the complexity of in vivo models and the challenges in vitro models face to reach the same levels of complexity in a controllable manner. First, a brief introduction of novel developments in two dimensional (2D) models and ex vivo models is provided. Next, recent developments in three dimensional (3D) in vitro models are described ranging from spheroids, organoids, scaffold models, bioprinted models to organ-on-chip models including a discussion on advantages and limitations for each model. Furthermore, we will provide a detailed overview on the current PDAC in vivo models including chemically-induced models, syngeneic and xenogeneic models, highlighting hetero- and orthotopic, patient-derived tissues (PDX) models, and genetically engineered mouse models. Finally, we will provide a discussion on overall limitations of both, in vitro and in vivo models, and discuss necessary steps to overcome these limitations to reach an efficient drug development pipeline, as well as discuss possibilities to include novel in silico models in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel A Heinrich
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Ahmed M R H Mostafa
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Rd, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Rd, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Lukas J A C Hawinkels
- Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO-box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jai Prakash
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
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Best Practices and Progress in Precision-Cut Liver Slice Cultures. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137137. [PMID: 34281187 PMCID: PMC8267882 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty-five years ago, precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) were described as a promising tool and were expected to become the standard in vitro model to study liver disease as they tick off all characteristics of a good in vitro model. In contrast to most in vitro models, PCLS retain the complex 3D liver structures found in vivo, including cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, and therefore should constitute the most reliable tool to model and to investigate pathways underlying chronic liver disease in vitro. Nevertheless, the biggest disadvantage of the model is the initiation of a procedure-induced fibrotic response. In this review, we describe the parameters and potential of PCLS cultures and discuss whether the initially described limitations and pitfalls have been overcome. We summarize the latest advances in PCLS research and critically evaluate PCLS use and progress since its invention in 1985.
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Kenerson HL, Sullivan KM, Labadie KP, Pillarisetty VG, Yeung RS. Protocol for tissue slice cultures from human solid tumors to study therapeutic response. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100574. [PMID: 34142099 PMCID: PMC8184656 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of systemic therapy on the tumor microenvironment has been difficult to study in human solid tumors. Our protocol describes steps for establishing slice cultures to investigate response to chemotherapies, immunotherapies, or adoptive cell therapies. Endpoints include changes in viability, histology, live-cell imaging, and multi-omics analyses. The protocol has been applied to a broad array of gastrointestinal malignancies. Culture conditions and treatment parameters can be modified for specific experiments. The platform is highly flexible and easy to manipulate. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kenerson et al. (2020), Jabbari et al. (2020), Brempelis et al. (2020), and Jiang et al. (2017). Organotypic tumor slice cultures (TSCs) can be utilized to study human cancer TSCs provide a model to study effects of chemo-, immuno-, and cell-based therapies Tumor response to treatment can be assessed using multiple readouts
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi L Kenerson
- University of Washington Department of Surgery, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin M Sullivan
- University of Washington Department of Surgery, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin P Labadie
- University of Washington Department of Surgery, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Raymond S Yeung
- University of Washington Department of Surgery, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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37
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Jabbari N, Kenerson HL, Lausted C, Yan X, Meng C, Sullivan KM, Baloni P, Bergey D, Pillarisetty VG, Hood LE, Yeung RS, Tian Q. Modulation of Immune Checkpoints by Chemotherapy in Human Colorectal Liver Metastases. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2020; 1:100160. [PMID: 33377131 PMCID: PMC7762777 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related death, and incidence is rising in younger populations (younger than 50 years). Current chemotherapies can achieve response rates above 50%, but immunotherapies have limited value for patients with microsatellite-stable (MSS) cancers. The present study investigates the impact of chemotherapy on the tumor immune microenvironment. We treat human liver metastases slices with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus either irinotecan or oxaliplatin, then perform single-cell transcriptome analyses. Results from eight cases reveal two cellular subtypes with divergent responses to chemotherapy. Susceptible tumors are characterized by a stemness signature, an activated interferon pathway, and suppression of PD-1 ligands in response to 5-FU+irinotecan. Conversely, immune checkpoint TIM-3 ligands are maintained or upregulated by chemotherapy in CRC with an enterocyte-like signature, and combining chemotherapy with TIM-3 blockade leads to synergistic tumor killing. Our analyses highlight chemomodulation of the immune microenvironment and provide a framework for combined chemo-immunotherapies. CRLM slice culture can assess immune response to chemotherapy Single-cell analysis identifies cancer subtypes with differing response to chemotherapy 5-FU+irinotecan modulates interferon and PD-L1 pathways in stem-like CRLM Combining chemotherapy with TIM-3 blockade is synergistic in enterocyte-like CRLM
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi L Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Xiaowei Yan
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Kevin M Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Dani Bergey
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Raymond S Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Qiang Tian
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
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Boucherit N, Gorvel L, Olive D. 3D Tumor Models and Their Use for the Testing of Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2020; 11:603640. [PMID: 33362787 PMCID: PMC7758240 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.603640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, immunotherapy has become a powerful and evident tool in the fight against cancers. Notably, the rise of checkpoint blockade using monoclonal antibodies (anti-CTLA4, anti-PD1) to avoid interaction between inhibitory molecules allowed the betterment of patient care. Indeed, immunotherapies led to increased overall survival in forms of cutaneous melanoma or lung cancer. However, the percentage of patients responding varies from 20 to 40% depending on the type of cancer and on the expression of the target molecules by the tumor. This is due to the tumor microenvironment which allows the acquisition of resistance mechanisms to immunotherapies by tumor cells. These are closely linked to the architecture and cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment. This one acts on different parameters such as the immune cells infiltrate its composition and therefore, favors the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells as well as the tumor expression of checkpoint inhibitors such as Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1). Therefore, the analysis and modeling of the complexity of the microenvironment is an important parameter to consider, not only in the search for new therapies but also for the identification and stratification of patients likely to respond to immunotherapy. This is why the use of 3D culture models, reflecting the architecture and cellular composition of a tumor, is essential in immuno-oncology studies. Nowadays, there are several 3-D culture methods such as spheroids and organoids, which are applicable to immuno-oncology. In this review we evaluate 3D culture models as tools for the development of treatments in the field of immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Boucherit
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Gorvel
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
| | - Daniel Olive
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
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Rodriguez A, Horowitz L, Castro K, Kenerson H, Bhattacharjee N, Gandhe G, Raman A, Monnat RJ, Yeung R, Rostomily R, Folch A. A microfluidic platform for functional testing of cancer drugs on intact tumor slices. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:1658-1675. [PMID: 32270149 PMCID: PMC7679198 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00811j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Present approaches to assess cancer treatments are often inaccurate, costly, and/or cumbersome. Functional testing platforms that use live tumor cells are a promising tool both for drug development and for identifying the optimal therapy for a given patient, i.e. precision oncology. However, current methods that utilize patient-derived cells from dissociated tissue typically lack the microenvironment of the tumor tissue and/or cannot inform on a timescale rapid enough to guide decisions for patient-specific therapy. We have developed a microfluidic platform that allows for multiplexed drug testing of intact tumor slices cultured on a porous membrane. The device is digitally-manufactured in a biocompatible thermoplastic by laser-cutting and solvent bonding. Here we describe the fabrication process in detail, we characterize the fluidic performance of the device, and demonstrate on-device drug-response testing with tumor slices from xenografts and from a patient colorectal tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.D Rodriguez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - L.F Horowitz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - K. Castro
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - H. Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - N. Bhattacharjee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - G. Gandhe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - A. Raman
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - R. J. Monnat
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - R. Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - R.C. Rostomily
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Weill Cornell School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery
| | - A. Folch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
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