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Flörkemeier I, Antons LK, Weimer JP, Hedemann N, Rogmans C, Krüger S, Scherließ R, Dempfle A, Arnold N, Maass N, Bauerschlag DO. Multicellular ovarian cancer spheroids: novel 3D model to mimic tumour complexity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:23526. [PMID: 39384844 PMCID: PMC11464915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73680-6] [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: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024] Open
Abstract
In vitro, spheroid models have become well established in cancer research because they can better mimic certain characteristics of in vivo tumours. However, interaction with the tumour microenvironment, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, plays a key role in tumour progression. We initially focused on the interaction of tumour cells with fibroblasts. To model this interaction, we developed a spheroid model of ovarian cancer and fibroblasts. To this end, ovarian cancer cell lines and ex vivo primary cells were simultaneously and sequentially seeded with fibroblasts in a scaffold-free system at different ratios and subsequently characterized with respect to changes in morphology, proliferation, and viability. We demonstrated that co-cultures are able to form by far more compact spheroids, especially in cells that form aggregates in mono-culture. In addition, the co-cultures were able to increase proliferation and sensitivity to cisplatin. Simultaneous seeding led fibroblasts invade the core in both cell lines and primary cells. These results show differences in formation, firmness, and size between co-culture and mono-culture. Our model is designed to better represent and characterize the mutual influencing factors of fibroblasts and tumour cells. Fibroblast-supplemented multicellular spheroids are a valuable tool for tumour microenvironment interaction and new drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inken Flörkemeier
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- KiNSIS Priority Research Area, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Lisa K Antons
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörg P Weimer
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nina Hedemann
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christoph Rogmans
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sandra Krüger
- Department of Pathology, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Regina Scherließ
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- KiNSIS Priority Research Area, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Astrid Dempfle
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Norbert Arnold
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nicolai Maass
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Dirk O Bauerschlag
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Gynaecology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Liu Y, Okesola BO, Osuna de la Peña D, Li W, Lin M, Trabulo S, Tatari M, Lawlor RT, Scarpa A, Wang W, Knight M, Loessner D, Heeschen C, Mata A, Pearce OMT. A Self-Assembled 3D Model Demonstrates How Stiffness Educates Tumor Cell Phenotypes and Therapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2301941. [PMID: 38471128 PMCID: PMC11468796 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a dense and stiff extracellular matrix (ECM) associated with tumor progression and therapy resistance. To further the understanding of how stiffening of the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to aggressiveness, a three-dimensional (3D) self-assembling hydrogel disease model is developed based on peptide amphiphiles (PAs, PA-E3Y) designed to tailor stiffness. The model displays nanofibrous architectures reminiscent of native TME and enables the study of the invasive behavior of PDAC cells. Enhanced tuneability of stiffness is demonstrated by interacting thermally annealed aqueous solutions of PA-E3Y (PA-E3Yh) with divalent cations to create hydrogels with mechanical properties and ultrastructure similar to native tumor ECM. It is shown that stiffening of PA-E3Yh hydrogels to levels found in PDAC induces ECM deposition, promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), enriches CD133+/CXCR4+ cancer stem cells (CSCs), and subsequently enhances drug resistance. The findings reveal how a stiff 3D environment renders PDAC cells more aggressive and therefore more faithfully recapitulates in vivo tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
- School of Engineering and Materials ScienceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Babatunde O. Okesola
- School of Life SciencesFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - David Osuna de la Peña
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
- School of Engineering and Materials ScienceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Weiqi Li
- School of Engineering and Materials ScienceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Meng‐Lay Lin
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
| | - Sara Trabulo
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
| | - Marianthi Tatari
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
| | - Rita T. Lawlor
- Department of Diagnostics and Public HealthSection of PathologyUniversity of VeronaVerona37134Italy
- ARC‐NetApplied Research on Cancer CentreUniversity of VeronaVerona37134Italy
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- Department of Diagnostics and Public HealthSection of PathologyUniversity of VeronaVerona37134Italy
- ARC‐NetApplied Research on Cancer CentreUniversity of VeronaVerona37134Italy
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Engineering and Materials ScienceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Martin Knight
- Centre for BioengineeringSchool of Engineering and Materials ScienceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
- Centre for Predictive in vitro ModelsQueen Mary University of LondonLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Daniela Loessner
- Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonEC1M 6BQUK
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringMonash UniversityMelbourneVIC3800Australia
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringMonash UniversityMelbourneVIC3800Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental BiologyFaculty of MedicineNursing and Health SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVIC3800Australia
| | - Christopher Heeschen
- Pancreatic Cancer HeterogeneityCandiolo Cancer Institute – FPO – IRCCSCandiolo (TO)10060Italy
| | - Alvaro Mata
- School of PharmacyUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
- Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
- Department of Chemical and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
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Plesselova S, Calar K, Axemaker H, Sahly E, de la Puente P. Multicompartmentalized microvascularized tumor-on-a-chip to study tumor-stroma interactions and drug resistance in ovarian cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596456. [PMID: 38853974 PMCID: PMC11160770 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Introduction The majority of ovarian cancer (OC) patients receiving standard of care chemotherapy develop chemoresistance within 5 years. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a dynamic and influential player in disease progression and therapeutic response. However, there is a lack of models that allow us to elucidate the compartmentalized nature of TME in a controllable, yet physiologically relevant manner and its critical role in modulating drug resistance. Methods We developed a 3D microvascularized multiniche tumor-on-a-chip formed by five chambers (central cancer chamber, flanked by two lateral stromal chambers and two external circulation chambers) to recapitulate OC-TME compartmentalization and study its influence on drug resistance. Stromal chambers included endothelial cells alone or cocultured with normal fibroblasts or cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Results The tumor-on-a-chip recapitulated spatial TME compartmentalization including vessel-like structure, stromal-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, generation of oxygen gradients, and delayed drug diffusion/penetration from the circulation chamber towards the cancer chamber. The cancer chamber mimicked metastasis-like migration and increased drug resistance to carboplatin/paclitaxel treatment in the presence of CAF when compared to normal fibroblasts. CAF-mediated drug resistance was rescued by ECM targeted therapy. Critically, these results demonstrate that cellular crosstalk recreation and spatial organization through compartmentalization are essential to determining the effect of the compartmentalized OC-TME on drug resistance. Conclusions Our results present a functionally characterized microvascularized multiniche tumor-on-a-chip able to recapitulate TME compartmentalization influencing drug resistance. This technology holds the potential to guide the design of more effective and targeted therapeutic strategies to overcome chemoresistance in OC.
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Świerczewska M, Sterzyńska K, Ruciński M, Andrzejewska M, Nowicki M, Januchowski R. The response and resistance to drugs in ovarian cancer cell lines in 2D monolayers and 3D spheroids. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115152. [PMID: 37442067 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most common type of gynecologic cancer. One of the leading causes of high mortality is chemoresistance, developed primarily or during treatment. Different mechanisms of drug resistance appear at the cellular and cancer tissue organization levels. We examined the differences in response to the cytotoxic drugs CIS, MTX, DOX, VIN, PAC, and TOP using 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) culture methods. We tested the drug-sensitive ovarian cancer cell line W1 and established resistant cell lines to appropriate cytotoxic drugs. The following qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess: 1) morphology - inverted microscope and hematoxylin & eosin staining; 2) viability - MTT assay; 3) gene expression - a quantitative polymerase chain reaction; 4) identification of proteins - immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Our results indicate that the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells cultured in 3D conditions exhibit stronger resistance than the cells cultured in 2D conditions. A traditional 2D model shows that drug resistance of cancer cells is caused mainly by changes in the expression of genes encoding ATP-binding cassette transporter proteins, components of the extracellular matrix, "new" established genes related to drug resistance in ovarian cancer cell lines, and universal marker of cancer stem cells. Whereas in a 3D model, the drug resistance in spheroids can be related to other mechanisms such as the structure of the spheroid (dense or loose), the cell type (necrotic, quiescent, proliferating cells), drug concentrations or drug diffusion into the dense cellular/ECM structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Świerczewska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Karolina Sterzyńska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Marcin Ruciński
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Małgorzata Andrzejewska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Michał Nowicki
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Radosław Januchowski
- Institute of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, Zyty 28 St., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland.
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The Multifaceted Role of Connexins in Tumor Microenvironment Initiation and Maintenance. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020204. [PMID: 36829482 PMCID: PMC9953436 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Today's research on the processes of carcinogenesis and the vital activity of tumor tissues implies more attention be paid to constituents of the tumor microenvironment and their interactions. These interactions between cells in the tumor microenvironment can be mediated via different types of protein junctions. Connexins are one of the major contributors to intercellular communication. They form the gap junctions responsible for the transfer of ions, metabolites, peptides, miRNA, etc., between neighboring tumor cells as well as between tumor and stromal cells. Connexin hemichannels mediate purinergic signaling and bidirectional molecular transport with the extracellular environment. Additionally, connexins have been reported to localize in tumor-derived exosomes and facilitate the release of their cargo. A large body of evidence implies that the role of connexins in cancer is multifaceted. The pro- or anti-tumorigenic properties of connexins are determined by their abundance, localization, and functionality as well as their channel assembly and non-channel functions. In this review, we have summarized the data on the contribution of connexins to the formation of the tumor microenvironment and to cancer initiation and progression.
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Braccini S, Tacchini C, Chiellini F, Puppi D. Polymeric Hydrogels for In Vitro 3D Ovarian Cancer Modeling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3265. [PMID: 35328686 PMCID: PMC8954571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) grows and interacts constantly with a complex microenvironment, in which immune cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels, signal molecules and the extracellular matrix (ECM) coexist. This heterogeneous environment provides structural and biochemical support to the surrounding cells and undergoes constant and dynamic remodeling that actively promotes tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Despite the fact that traditional 2D cell culture systems have led to relevant medical advances in cancer research, 3D cell culture models could open new possibilities for the development of an in vitro tumor microenvironment more closely reproducing that observed in vivo. The implementation of materials science and technology into cancer research has enabled significant progress in the study of cancer progression and drug screening, through the development of polymeric scaffold-based 3D models closely recapitulating the physiopathological features of native tumor tissue. This article provides an overview of state-of-the-art in vitro tumor models with a particular focus on 3D OC cell culture in pre-clinical studies. The most representative OC models described in the literature are presented with a focus on hydrogel-based scaffolds, which guarantee soft tissue-like physical properties as well as a suitable 3D microenvironment for cell growth. Hydrogel-forming polymers of either natural or synthetic origin investigated in this context are described by highlighting their source of extraction, physical-chemical properties, and application for 3D ovarian cancer cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dario Puppi
- BioLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM-Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.B.); (C.T.)
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