Multicellular 3D Models to Study Tumour-Stroma Interactions

Caspase-9 suppresses metastatic behavior of MDA-MB-231 cells in an adaptive organoid model

Caspase-9, a cysteine-aspartate protease traditionally associated with intrinsic apoptosis, has recently emerged as having non-apoptotic roles, including influencing cell migration-an aspect that has received limited attention in existing studies. In our investigation, we aimed to explore the impact of caspase-9 on the migration and invasion behaviors of MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line known for its metastatic properties. We established a stable cell line expressing an inducible caspase-9 (iC9) in MDA-MB-231 and assessed their metastatic behavior using both monolayer and the 3D organotypic model in co-culture with human Foreskin fibroblasts (HFF). Our findings revealed that caspase-9 had an inhibitory effect on migration and invasion in both models. In monolayer culture, caspase-9 effectively suppressed the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, comparable to the anti-metastatic agent panitumumab (Pan). Notably, the combination of caspase-9 and Pan exhibited a significant additional effect in reducing metastatic behavior. Interestingly, caspase-9 demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Pan in the organotypic model. Molecular analysis showed down regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migratory markers, in caspase-9 activated cells. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis indicated a cell cycle arrest. Moreover, pre-treatment with activated caspase-9 sensitized cells to the chemotherapy of doxorubicin, thereby enhancing its effectiveness. In conclusion, the anti-metastatic potential of caspase-9 presents avenues for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for TNBC/metastatic breast cancer. Although more studies need to figure out the exact involving mechanisms behind this behavior.

Multicompartmentalized microvascularized tumor-on-a-chip to study tumor-stroma interactions and drug resistance in ovarian cancer

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.

DCM-Spheroid Morphs Express PADs and Citrullinated Cytoskeletal Proteins

During investigating the role of peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we observed unique spheroid formation in DCM-myofibroblasts that distinguished them from normal cardiac myofibroblasts. The present study aimed to assess the presence of PADs, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and citrullination in DCM spheroids using immunofluorescence staining and imaging techniques. The results revealed that spheroids derived from DCM-myofibroblasts displayed a more distinctive, tightly packed structure compared with those derived from human cardiac fibroblasts. DCM spheroids showed abundant protein expression of the PAD 2, 3, and 4 enzymes. Notably, increased Ki67 protein expression was associated with increased proliferation in DCM spheroids. Cytoskeletal proteins such as Col-1A, vimentin, α-SMA, and F-actin were highly abundant in DCM spheroids. Furthermore, DCM spheroids contained citrullinated cytoskeletal proteins, mainly citrullinated vimentin and citrullinated fibronectin. These observations supported the occurrence of PAD-mediated citrullination of ECM proteins in DCM spheroids. Collectively, these findings describe the distinctive features of DCM spheroids, representing the cellular characteristics of DCM myofibroblasts. Therefore, DCM spheroids can serve as an in vitro model for further investigations of disease morphology and therapeutic efficacy.

Utility of 1.5 Tesla MRI Scanner in the Management of Small Sample Sizes Driven from 3D Breast Cell Culture

The aim of this work was to use and optimize a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for three-dimensional (3D) images of small samples obtained from breast cell cultures in vitro. The basis of this study was to design MRI equipment to enable imaging of MCF-7 breast cancer cell cultures (about 1 million cells) in 1.5 and 2 mL glass tubes and/or bioreactors with an external diameter of less than 20 mm. Additionally, the development of software to calculate longitudinal and transverse relaxation times is described. Imaging tests were performed using a clinical MRI scanner OPTIMA 360 manufactured by GEMS. Due to the size of the tested objects, it was necessary to design additional receiving circuits allowing for the study of MCF-7 cell cultures placed in glass bioreactors. The examined sample's volume did not exceed 2.0 mL nor did the number of cells exceed 1 million. This work also included a modification of the sequence to allow for the analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times. The analysis was performed using the MATLAB package (produced by MathWorks). The created application is based on medical MR images saved in the DICOM3.0 standard which ensures that the data analyzed are reliable and unchangeable in an unintentional manner that could affect the measurement results. The possibility of using 1.5 T MRI systems for cell culture research providing quantitative information from in vitro studies was realized. The scanning resolution for FOV = 5 cm and the matrix was achieved at a level of resolution of less than 0.1 mm/pixel. Receiving elements were built allowing for the acquisition of data for MRI image reconstruction confirmed by images of a phantom with a known structure and geometry. Magnetic resonance sequences were modified for the saturation recovery (SR) method, the purpose of which was to determine relaxation times. An application in MATLAB was developed that allows for the analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times. The relaxation times of cell cultures were determined over a 6-week period. In the first week, the T1 time value was 1100 ± 40 ms, which decreased to 673 ± 59 ms by the sixth week. For T2, the results were 171 ± 10 ms and 128 ± 12 ms, respectively.

Understanding glioblastoma stromal barriers against NK cell attack using tri-culture 3D spheroid model

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a highly aggressive tumor type with a dismal survival rate, has a poor outcome which is at least partly attributed to the crosstalk between cancer cells and cells from the tumor microenvironment such as astrocytes and microglia. We aimed to decipher the effect of these cells on GBM progression and on cell-based therapies using 3D co-cultures. Co-culturing of glioblastoma cells with patient-derived astrocytes or microglia or both formed dense and heterogeneous spheroids. Both, astrocytes and microglia, enhanced the spheroid growth rate and formed a physical barrier for macromolecules penetration, while only astrocytes enhanced the migration. Interestingly bi-/tri-cultured spheroids showed significant resistance against NK-92 cells, likely attributed to dense stroma and induced expression of immunosuppressive genes such as IDO1 or PTGES2. Altogether, our novel 3D GBM spheroid model recapitulates the cell-to-cell interactions of human glioblastoma and can serve as a suitable platform for evaluating cancer therapeutics.

Stroma modulation of radiation response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Insights from zebrafish larvae xenografts

BACKGROUND

The tumour microenvironment (TME) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) consists of different subtypes of cells that interact with the tumour or with each other. This study investigates the possibility of co-culturing HNSCC cells with different stroma cells in a zebrafish xenograft model, focusing on the effect of stroma cells on HNSCC growth and response to irradiation.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

HNSCC metastatic cell line HSC-3 was used along with five types of stroma cells: normal gingival fibroblasts (NOF), cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF), macrophages, CD4+ T cells, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The mixture of HSC-3 cells and each-stroma cell type-was injected into 2-day post-fertilization zebrafish embryos, and the effect of stroma cells on tumour growth was tested. The study also aimed to mimic the HNSCC tumour by injecting a mixture of HSC-3 cells, CAFs, macrophages, and HUVECs into zebrafish embryos and testing the effect of these stroma cells on the cancer cells' response to irradiation compared to HSC-3-only tumours.

RESULTS

CAFs had a significant inducement effect on tumour size, while HUVECs showed the opposite effect. The irradiated group of HSC-3-only tumour had a significantly smaller tumor cell area compared to the control, while the group with stroma cells and HSC-3 cells showed cancer cells being resistant to irradiation.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of co-culturing cancer cells with several types of stroma cells using a zebrafish xenograft model. This study also highlighted the role of stroma cells in turning the cancer cells from radioresponsive to radioresistant.

Organoids: An Emerging Precision Medicine Model for Prostate Cancer Research

Prostate cancer (PCa) has been known as the most prevalent cancer disease and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in men almost all over the globe. There is an urgent need for establishment of PCa models that can recapitulate the progress of genomic landscapes and molecular alterations during development and progression of this disease. Notably, several organoid models have been developed for assessing the complex interaction between PCa and its surrounding microenvironment. In recent years, PCa organoids have been emerged as powerful in vitro 3D model systems that recapitulate the molecular features (such as genomic/epigenomic changes and tumor microenvironment) of PCa metastatic tumors. In addition, application of organoid technology in mechanistic studies (i.e., for understanding cellular/subcellular and molecular alterations) and translational medicine has been recognized as a promising approach for facilitating the development of potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize the application of PCa organoids in the high-throughput screening and establishment of relevant xenografts for developing novel therapeutics for metastatic, castration resistant, and neuroendocrine PCa. These organoid-based studies are expected to expand our knowledge from basic research to clinical applications for PCa diseases. Furthermore, we also highlight the optimization of PCa cultures and establishment of promising 3D organoid models for in vitro and in vivo investigations, ultimately facilitating mechanistic studies and development of novel clinical diagnosis/prognosis and therapies for PCa.

The Role of Intracellular Potassium in Cell Quiescence, Proliferation, and Death

This brief review explores the role of intracellular K+ during the transition of cells from quiescence to proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. We focus on the relationship between intracellular K+ and the growth and proliferation rates of different cells, including transformed cells in culture as well as human quiescent T cells and mesenchymal stem cells, and analyze the concomitant changes in K+ and water content in both proliferating and apoptotic cells. Evidence is discussed indicating that during the initiation of cell proliferation and apoptosis changes in the K+ content in cells occur in parallel with changes in water content and therefore do not lead to significant changes in the intracellular K+ concentration. We conclude that K+, as a dominant intracellular ion, is involved in the regulation of cell volume during the transit from quiescence, and the content of K+ and water in dividing cells is higher than in quiescent or differentiated cells, which can be considered to be a hallmark of cell proliferation and transformation.

Progress and perspective of organoid technology in breast cancer research

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer, a malignant tumor with a high incidence in women, lacks in vitro research models that can represent the biological functions of breast tumors in vivo. As a new biological tool, the organoid model has unique advantages over traditional methods, such as cell culture and patient-derived xenografts. Combining organoids with other emerging technologies, such as gene engineering and microfluidic chip technology, provides an effective method to compensate for the deficiencies in organoid models of breast cancer in vivo. The emergence of breast cancer organoids has provided new tools and research directions in precision medicine, personality therapy, and drug research. In this review, we summarized the merits and demerits of organoids compared to traditional biological models, explored the latest developments in the combination of new technologies and organoid models, and discussed the construction methods and application prospects of different breast organoid models.

Photo-Controllable Smart Hydrogels for Biomedical Application: A Review

Nowadays, smart hydrogels are being widely studied by researchers because of their advantages such as simple preparation, stable performance, response to external stimuli, and easy control of response behavior. Photo-controllable smart hydrogels (PCHs) are a class of responsive hydrogels whose physical and chemical properties can be changed when stimulated by light at specific wavelengths. Since the light source is safe, clean, simple to operate, and easy to control, PCHs have broad application prospects in the biomedical field. Therefore, this review timely summarizes the latest progress in the PCHs field, with an emphasis on the design principles of typical PCHs and their multiple biomedical applications in tissue regeneration, tumor therapy, antibacterial therapy, diseases diagnosis and monitoring, etc. Meanwhile, the challenges and perspectives of widespread practical implementation of PCHs are presented in biomedical applications. This study hopes that PCHs will flourish in the biomedical field and this review will provide useful information for interested researchers.

Emerging roles of 3D-culture systems in tackling tumor drug resistance

Drug resistance that affects patients universally is a major challenge in cancer therapy. The development of drug resistance in cancer cells is a multifactor event, and its process involves numerous mechanisms that allow these cells to evade the effect of treatments. As a result, the need to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer drug sensitivity is imperative. Traditional 2D cell culture systems have been utilized to study drug resistance, but they often fail to mimic the 3D milieu and the architecture of real tissues and cell-cell interactions. As a result of this, 3D cell culture systems are now considered a comprehensive model to study drug resistance in vitro. Cancer cells exhibit an in vivo behavior when grown in a three-dimensional environment and react to therapy more physiologically. In this review, we discuss the relevance of main 3D culture systems in the study of potential approaches to overcome drug resistance and in the identification of personalized drug targets with the aim of developing patient-specific treatment strategies that can be put in place when resistance emerges.

Fibroblasts mediate endothelium response to angiogenic cues in a newly developed 3D stroma engineered model

Three-dimensional stroma engineered models would enable fundamental and applicative studies of human tissues interaction and remodeling in both physiological and pathological conditions. In this work, we propose a 3D vascularized stroma model to be used as in vitro platform for drug testing. A pullulan/dextran-based porous scaffold containing pre-patterned microchannels of 100 μm diameter is used for co-culturing of fibroblasts within the matrix pores and endothelial cells to form the lumen. Optical clearing of the constructs by hyperhydration allows for in-depth imaging of the model up to 1 mm by lightsheet and confocal microscopy. Our 3D vascularized stroma model allows for higher viability, metabolism and cytokines expression compared to a monocultured vascular model. Stroma-endothelium cross-talk is then investigated by exposing the system to pro and anti-angiogenic molecules. The results highlight the protective role played by fibroblasts on the vasculature, as demonstrated by decreased cytotoxicity, restoration of nitric oxide levels upon challenge, and sustained expression of endothelial markers CD31, vWF and VEGF. Our tissue model provides a 3D engineered platform for in vitro studies of stroma remodeling in angiogenesis-driven events, known to be a leading mechanism in diseased conditions, such as metastatic cancers, retinopathies and ischemia, and to investigate related potential therapies.

Organoid: Bridging the gap between basic research and clinical practice

Nowadays, the diagnosis and treatment system of malignant tumors has increasingly tended to be more precise and personalized while the existing tumor models are still unable to fully meet the needs of clinical practice. Notably, the emerging organoid platform has been proven to have huge potential in the field of basic-translational medicine, which is expected to promote a paradigm shift in personalized medicine. Here, given the unique advantages of organoid platform, we mainly explore the prominent role of organoid models in basic research and clinical practice from perspectives of tumor biology, tumorigenic microbes-host interaction, clinical decision-making, and regenerative strategy. In addition, we also put forward some practical suggestions on how to construct a new generation of organoid platform, which is destined to vigorously promote the reform of basic-translational medicine.

Towards a New 3Rs Era in the construction of 3D cell culture models simulating tumor microenvironment

Three-dimensional cell culture technology (3DCC) sits between two-dimensional cell culture (2DCC) and animal models and is widely used in oncology research. Compared to 2DCC, 3DCC allows cells to grow in a three-dimensional space, better simulating the in vivo growth environment of tumors, including hypoxia, nutrient concentration gradients, micro angiogenesis mimicism, and the interaction between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment matrix. 3DCC has unparalleled advantages when compared to animal models, being more controllable, operable, and convenient. This review summarizes the comparison between 2DCC and 3DCC, as well as recent advances in different methods to obtain 3D models and their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Three-Dimensional (3D) in vitro cell culture protocols to enhance glioblastoma research

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models can help bridge the gap between in vitro cell cultures and in vivo responses by more accurately simulating the natural in vivo environment, shape, tissue stiffness, stressors, gradients and cellular response while avoiding the costs and ethical concerns associated with animal models. The inclusion of the third dimension in 3D cell culture influences the spatial organization of cell surface receptors that interact with other cells and imposes physical restrictions on cells in compared to Two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Spheroids' distinctive cyto-architecture mimics in vivo cellular structure, gene expression, metabolism, proliferation, oxygenation, nutrition absorption, waste excretion, and drug uptake while preserving cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) connections and communication, hence influencing molecular processes and cellular phenotypes. This protocol describes the in vitro generation of tumourspheroids using the low attachment plate, hanging drop plate, and cellusponge natural scaffold based methods. The expected results from these protocols confirmed the ability of all these methods to create uniform tumourspheres.

Advances in 3D culture systems for therapeutic discovery and development in brain cancer

This review focuses on recent advances in 3D culture systems that promise more accurate therapeutic models of the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor microenvironment (TME), such as the unique anatomical, cellular, and molecular features evident in human GBM. The key components of a GBM TME are outlined, including microbiomes, vasculature, extracellular matrix (ECM), infiltrating parenchymal and peripheral immune cells and molecules, and chemical gradients. 3D culture systems are evaluated against 2D culture systems and in vivo animal models. The main 3D culture techniques available are compared, with an emphasis on identifying key gaps in knowledge for the development of suitable platforms to accurately model the intricate components of the GBM TME.

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Three-Dimensional Cell Culture: Ion Homeostasis and Ouabain-Induced Apoptosis

This study describes the changes in ion homeostasis of human endometrial mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (eMSCs) during the formation of three-dimensional (3D) cell structures (spheroids) and investigates the conditions for apoptosis induction in 3D eMSCs. Detached from the monolayer culture, (2D) eMSCs accumulate Na⁺ and have dissipated transmembrane ion gradients, while in compact spheroids, eMSCs restore the lower Na⁺ content and the high K/Na ratio characteristic of functionally active cells. Organized as spheroids, eMSCs are non-proliferating cells with an active Na/K pump and a lower K⁺ content per g cell protein, which is typical for quiescent cells and a mean lower water content (lower hydration) in 3D eMSCs. Further, eMSCs in spheroids were used to evaluate the role of K⁺ depletion and cellular signaling context in the induction of apoptosis. In both 2D and 3D eMSCs, treatment with ouabain (1 µM) results in inhibition of pump-mediated K⁺ uptake and severe K⁺ depletion as well as disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential. In 3D eMSCs (but not in 2D eMSCs), ouabain initiates apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. It is concluded that, when blocking the Na/K pump, cardiac glycosides prime mitochondria to apoptosis, and whether a cell enters the apoptotic pathway depends on the cell-specific signaling context, which includes the type of apoptotic protein expressed.

Evolution of 3D Cultures: Toward Tailored Preclinical Models

The identification and validation of simple, reliable and reproducible three dimensional (3D) in vitro culture systems represent a major challenge in the field of anticancer drug development [...].

Inflammation-related citrullination of matrisome proteins in human cancer

INTRODUCTION

Protein arginine deiminases (PADs) are intracellular enzymes that may, especially in pathological conditions, also citrullinate extracellular substrates, including matrisome proteins such as structural proteins in extracellular matrix (ECM). PADs are abundantly expressed in human cancer cells. Citrullination of matrisome proteins has been reported in colon cancer but the phenomenon has never been systematically studied.

METHODS

To gain a broader view of citrullination of matrisome proteins in cancer, we analyzed cancer proteomics data sets in 3 public databases for citrullinated matrisome proteins. In addition, we used three-dimensional cell cocultures of fibroblasts and cancer cells and analyzed citrullination of ECM.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Our new analysis indicate that citrullination of ECM occurs in human cancer, and there is a significant variation between tumors. Most frequently citrullinated proteins included fibrinogen and fibronectin, which are typically citrullinated in rheumatoid inflammation. We also detected correlation between immune cell marker proteins, matrix metalloproteinases and ECM citrullination, which suggests that in cancer, citrullination of matrisome proteins is predominantly an inflammation-related phenomenon. This was further supported by our analysis of three-dimensional spheroid co-cultures of nine human cancer cell lines and fibroblasts by mass spectrometry, which gave no evidence that cancer cells or fibroblasts could citrullinate matrisome proteins in tumor stroma. It also appears that in the spheroid cultures, matrisome proteins are protected from citrullination.

Extracellular matrix stiffness mediates radiosensitivity in a 3D nasopharyngeal carcinoma model

Purpose

Radiotherapy is one of the essential treatment modalities for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), however, radioresistance still poses challenges. Three-dimensional (3D) tumor culture models mimic the in vivo growth conditions of cells more accurately than 2D models. This study is to compare the tumor biological behaviors of NPC cells in 2D, On-Surface 3D and Embedded 3D systems, and to investigate the correlation between radioresistance and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness.

Methods

The morphology and radioresistance of the human NPC cell line CNE-1 were observed in 2D and 3D systems. The CCK-8 assay, wounding healing assays, flow cytometry, soft agar assays, and western blot analysis were used to evaluate differences in biological behaviors such as proliferation, migration, cell cycle distribution, and stem cell activity. Different ECM stiffness systems were established by co-blending collagen and alginate in varying proportions. ECM stiffness was evaluated by compressive elastic moduli measurement and colony formation assay was used to assess radioresistance of NPC cells in systems with different ECM stiffness after irradiation.

Results

Compared to 2D models, the morphology of NPC cells in 3D culture microenvironments has more in common with in vivo tumor cells and 3D cultured NPC cells exhibit stronger radioresistance. Integrin β1 but not the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition pathway in 3D models boost migration ability. Cell proliferation was enhanced, the proportion of tumor stem cells was increased, and G1/S phase arrest occurred in 3D models. NPC cells cultured in softer ECM systems (with low alginate proportions) exhibit striking resistance to ionizing radiation.

Conclusion

The tumor biological behaviors of NPC cells in 3D groups were obviously different from that of 2D. Radioresistance of NPC cells increased with the stiffness of ECM decreasing.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02787-5.

HYDRHA: Hydrogels of hyaluronic acid. New biomedical approaches in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and tissue engineering

In the last decade, hyaluronic acid (HA) has attracted an ever-growing interest in the biomedical engineering field as a biocompatible, biodegradable, and chemically versatile molecule. In fact, HA is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and crosstalk. Innovative experimental strategies in vitro and in vivo using three-dimensional (3D) HA systems have been increasingly reported in studies of diseases, replacement of tissue and organ damage, repairing wounds, and encapsulating stem cells for tissue regeneration. The present work aims to give an overview and comparison of recent work carried out on HA systems showing advantages, limitations, and their complementarity, for a comprehensive characterization of their use. A special attention is paid to the use of HA in three important areas: cancer, diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), and tissue regeneration, discussing the most innovative experimental strategies. Finally, perspectives within and beyond these research fields are discussed.

Advances in the application of 3D tumor models in precision oncology and drug screening

Traditional tumor models cannot perfectly simulate the real state of tumors in vivo, resulting in the termination of many clinical trials. 3D tumor models’ technology provides new in vitro models that bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo findings, and organoids maintain the properties of the original tissue over a long period of culture, which enables extensive research in this area. In addition, they can be used as a substitute for animal and in vitro models, and organoids can be established from patients’ normal and malignant tissues, with unique advantages in clinical drug development and in guiding individualized therapies. 3D tumor models also provide a promising platform for high-throughput research, drug and toxicity testing, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. This report summarizes the 3D tumor model, including evidence regarding the 3D tumor cell culture model, 3D tumor slice model, and organoid culture model. In addition, it provides evidence regarding the application of 3D tumor organoid models in precision oncology and drug screening. The aim of this report is to elucidate the value of 3D tumor models in cancer research and provide a preclinical reference for the precise treatment of cancer patients.

CCPLS reveals cell-type-specific spatial dependence of transcriptomes in single cells

MOTIVATION

Cell-cell communications regulate internal cellular states, e.g. gene expression and cell functions, and play pivotal roles in normal development and disease states. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing methods have revealed cell-to-cell expression variability of highly variable genes (HVGs), which is also crucial. Nevertheless, the regulation of cell-to-cell expression variability of HVGs via cell-cell communications is still largely unexplored. The recent advent of spatial transcriptome methods has linked gene expression profiles to the spatial context of single cells, which has provided opportunities to reveal those regulations. The existing computational methods extract genes with expression levels influenced by neighboring cell types. However, limitations remain in the quantitativeness and interpretability: they neither focus on HVGs nor consider the effects of multiple neighboring cell types.

RESULTS

Here, we propose CCPLS (Cell-Cell communications analysis by Partial Least Square regression modeling), which is a statistical framework for identifying cell-cell communications as the effects of multiple neighboring cell types on cell-to-cell expression variability of HVGs, based on the spatial transcriptome data. For each cell type, CCPLS performs PLS regression modeling and reports coefficients as the quantitative index of the cell-cell communications. Evaluation using simulated data showed our method accurately estimated the effects of multiple neighboring cell types on HVGs. Furthermore, applications to the two real datasets demonstrate that CCPLS can extract biologically interpretable insights from the inferred cell-cell communications.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The R package is available at https://github.com/bioinfo-tsukuba/CCPLS. The data are available at https://github.com/bioinfo-tsukuba/CCPLS_paper.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Immunotherapy discovery on tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms that recapitulate the tumor microenvironment

Cancer immunotherapy has achieved remarkable success over the past decade by modulating patients' own immune systems and unleashing pre-existing immunity. However, only a minority of cancer patients across different cancer types are able to benefit from immunotherapy treatment; moreover, among those small portions of patients with response, intrinsic and acquired resistance remains a persistent challenge. Because the tumor microenvironment (TME) is well recognized to play a critical role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and the suppression of the immune system and responses to immunotherapy, understanding the interactions between the TME and the immune system is a pivotal step in developing novel and efficient cancer immunotherapies. With unique features such as low reagent consumption, dynamic and precise fluid control, versatile structures and function designs, and 3D cell co-culture, microfluidic tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms that recapitulate key factors of the TME and the immune contexture have emerged as innovative reliable tools to investigate how tumors regulate their TME to counteract antitumor immunity and the mechanism of tumor resistance to immunotherapy. In this comprehensive review, we focus on recent advances in tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms for studying the interaction between the TME and the immune system. We first review different factors of the TME that recent microfluidic in vitro systems reproduce to generate advanced tools to imitate the crosstalk between the TME and the immune system. Then, we discuss their applications in the assessment of different immunotherapies' efficacy using tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms. Finally, we present an overview and the outlook of engineered microfluidic platforms in investigating the interactions between cancer and immune systems, and the adoption of patient-on-a-chip models in clinical applications toward personalized immunotherapy.

Three-Dimensional Organotypic Cultures Reshape the microRNAs Transcriptional Program in Breast Cancer Cells

The 3D organotypic cultures, which depend on the growth of cells over the extracellular matrix (ECM) used as a scaffold, can better mimic several characteristics of solid cancers that influence tumor biology and the response to drug therapies. Most of our current knowledge on cancer is derived from studies in 2D cultures, which lack the ECM-mediated microenvironment. Moreover, the role of miRNAs that is critical for fine-tuning of gene expression is poorly understood in 3D cultures. The aim of this study was to compare the miRNA expression profiles of breast cancer cells grown in 2D and 3D conditions. On an on-top 3D cell culture model using a basement membrane matrix enriched with laminin, collagen IV, entactin, and heparin-sulfate proteoglycans, the basal B (Hs578T) and luminal (T47D) breast cancer cells formed 3D spheroid-like stellate and rounded mass structures, respectively. Morphological changes in 3D cultures were observed as cell stretching, cell–cell, and cell–ECM interactions associated with a loss of polarity and reorganization on bulk structures. Interestingly, we found prolongations of the cytoplasmic membrane of Hs578T cells similar to tunneled nanotubes contacting between neighboring cells, suggesting the existence of cellular intercommunication processes and the possibility of fusion between spheroids. Expression profiling data revealed that 354 miRNAs were differentially expressed in 3D relative to 2D cultures in Hs578T cells. Downregulated miRNAs may contribute to a positive regulation of genes involved in hypoxia, catabolic processes, and focal adhesion, whereas overexpressed miRNAs modulate genes involved in negative regulation of the cell cycle. Target genes of the top ten modulated miRNAs were selected to construct miRNA/mRNA coregulation networks. Around 502 interactions were identified for downregulated miRNAs, including miR-935/HIF1A and miR-5189-3p/AKT that could contribute to cell migration and the response to hypoxia. Furthermore, the expression levels of miR-935 and its target HIF1A correlated with the expression found in clinical tumors and predicted poor outcomes. On the other hand, 416 interactions were identified for overexpressed miRNAs, including miR-6780b-5p/ANKRD45 and miR-7641/CDK4 that may result in cell proliferation inhibition and cell cycle arrest in quiescent layers of 3D cultures. In conclusion, 3D cultures could represent a suitable model that better resembles the miRNA transcriptional programs operating in tumors, with implications not only in the understanding of basic cancer biology in 3D microenvironments, but also in the identification of novel biomarkers of disease and potential targets for personalized therapies in cancer.

Current and Emerging Approaches to Study Microenvironmental Interactions and Drug Activity in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Simple Summary

In classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL), the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in tumor progression and treatment response, making its evaluation critical for determining prognosis, treatment strategies and predicting an increase in drug toxicity. Therefore, there is a need to utilize more complex systems to study the cHL-TME and its interplay with tumor cells. To evaluate new anticancer drugs and to find the mechanisms of drug resistance, this review summarizes emerging approaches for the analysis of the TME composition and to identify the state of the disease; the in vitro techniques used to determine the mechanisms involved in the building of an immunosuppressive and protective TME; new 3-dimensional (3D) models, the heterospheroids (HS), developed to mimic TME interactions. Here, we describe the present and likely future clinical applications indicated by the results of these studies and propose a classification for the in vitro culture methods used to study TME interactions in cHL.

Abstract

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma is characterized by a few tumor cells surrounded by a protective and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) composed by a wide variety of noncancerous cells that are an active part of the disease. Therefore, new techniques to study the cHL-TME and new therapeutic strategies targeting specifically tumor cells, reactivating the antitumor immunity, counteracting the protective effects of the TME, were developed. Here, we describe new methods used to study the cell composition, the phenotype, and the spatial distribution of Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg (HRS) cells and of noncancerous cells in tumor tissues. Moreover, we propose a classification, with increasing complexity, of the in vitro functional studies used to clarify the interactions leading not only to HRS cell survival, growth and drug resistance, but also to the immunosuppressive tumor education of monocytes, T lymphocytes and fibroblasts. This classification also includes new 3-dimensional (3D) models, obtained by cultivating HRS cells in extracellular matrix scaffolds or in sponge scaffolds, under non-adherent conditions with noncancerous cells to form heterospheroids (HS), implanted in developing chick eggs (ovo model). We report results obtained with these approaches and their applications in clinical setting.

Modeling the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Cell Invasion

Simple Summary

Accurate in vitro modeling of diseases is essential to making breakthrough and clinically relevant discoveries. Assays to examine the process of invasion—a classical hallmark of cancer—have evolved over the years to overcome shortfalls in their design and accommodate new knowledge in the field, such as the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in propagating this process. The goals of this review are two-fold: To walk through the tried-and-true plus novel and new invasion assays currently used in cancer research with a focus on those incorporating cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and to be a resource for researchers to find the correct invasion assays that suit their own unique needs and biological questions.

Abstract

The major cause of cancer-related deaths can be attributed to the metastatic spread of tumor cells—a dynamic and complex multi-step process beginning with tumor cells acquiring an invasive phenotype to allow them to travel through the blood and lymphatic vessels to ultimately seed at a secondary site. Over the years, various in vitro models have been used to characterize specific steps in the cascade to collectively begin providing a clearer picture of the puzzle of metastasis. With the discovery of the TME’s supporting role in activating tumor cell invasion and metastasis, these models have evolved in parallel to accommodate features of the TME and to observe its interactions with tumor cells. In particular, CAFs that reside in reactive tumor stroma have been shown to play a substantial pro-invasive role through their matrix-modifying functions; accordingly, this warranted further investigation with the development and use of invasion assays that could include these stromal cells. This review explores the growing toolbox of assays used to study tumor cell invasion, from the simple beginnings of a tumor cell and extracellular matrix set-up to the advent of models that aim to more closely recapitulate the interplay between tumor cells, CAFs and the extracellular matrix. These models will prove to be invaluable tools to help tease out the intricacies of tumor cell invasion.

Role of the Tumor Microenvironment and the Influence of Epigenetics on the Tumor Microenvironment in Oral Carcinogenesis: Potential Implications

Oral cancer has become a significant problem throughout the world, particularly in countries that are still developing. Recent literature supports the contribution of components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the effect of epigenetic changes happening in the cells of the TME on oral cancer development and progression. In this review, we comprehensively examine the significance of TME in the development of OC along with the current understanding of the epigenetic modifications that regulate the TME and their cohesive impact on tumor traits and their potential as therapeutic targets.

Optimization of tumor spheroid model in mesothelioma and lung cancers and anti-cancer drug testing in H2052/484 spheroids

Advanced lung cancers and mesothelioma remain incurable diseases. Despite some promising new therapy strategies, predicting whether an individual patient will be sensitive to a given therapy is challenging. The purpose of this study is to establish and evaluate the efficiency of a three-dimensional spheroid model of human thoracic cancer in predicting the efficacy of drugs.

Human mesothelioma and lung tumor spheroids were established from cell lines and primary cells derived from the patient. The growth kinetics and cell viability of microtumors were assessed using spheroid size and intracellular ATP level. The sensitivity of the mesothelioma spheroids to the cisplatin or cisplatin/pemetrexed combination was determined.

We determined that studying the kinetics of the spheroid growth for 15 days after seeding 1000 cells/well in a 96-well plate was optimal. Monitoring the growth kinetic and intracellular ATP of spheroids allowed the identification of early changes in spheroid viability. Finally, we validated this model by measuring a dose-dependent reduction in the cell viability of mesothelioma H2052/484 spheroids treated with both first-line treatments, cisplatin and the cisplatin/pemetrexed combination. In conclusion, we have developed a three-dimensional spheroid model of thoracic tumor cells useful for tailoring the medical treatment to the specific characteristics of each patient.

Photo-crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogel as a biomimic extracellular matrix to recapitulate in vivo features of breast cancer cells

2D cell culture is widely utilized to develop anti-cancer drugs and to explore the mechanisms of cancer tumorigenesis and development. However, the findings obtained from 2D culture often fail to provide guidance for clinical tumor treatments since it cannot precisely replicate the features of real tumors. 3D tumor models capable of recapitulating native tumor microenvironments have been proved to be a promising alternative technique. Herein, we constructed a breast tumor model from novel hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel which was prepared through photocrosslinking of methacrylated HA. The hydrogel was used as a biomimetic extracellular matrix to incubate MCF-7 cells. It was found that methacrylation degree had great effects on hydrogel's microstructure, mechanical performances, and liquid-absorbing and degradation abilities. Optimized hydrogel exhibited highly porous morphology, high equilibrium swelling ratio, suitable mechanical properties, and hyaluronidase-responsive degradation behavior. The results demonstrated that the HA hydrogel facilitated MCF-7 cell proliferation and growth in an aggregation manner. Furthermore, 3D-cultured MCF-7 cells not only up-regulated the expression of VEGF, bFGF and interleukin-8 but exhibited greater invasion and tumorigenesis capabilities compared with 2D-cultured cells. Therefore, the HA hydrogel is a reliable substitute for tumor model construction.

Advances in culture methods for acute myeloid leukemia research

Conventional suspension cultures have been used in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) research to study its biology as well as to screen any drug molecules, since its inception. Co-culture models of AML cells and other stromal cells as well as 3 dimensional (3D) culture models have gained much attention recently. These culture models try to recapitulate the tumour microenvironment and are found to be more suitable than suspension cultures. Though animal models are being used, they require more time, effort and facilities and hence, it is essential to develop cell culture models for high-throughput screening of drugs. Here, we discuss a new co-culture model developed by our research group involving acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and stimulated macrophages. Other studies on co-culture systems and relevance of 3D culture in leukemic research in understanding the pathology and treatment of leukemia are also reviewed.

Engineering stromal heterogeneity in cancer

Based on our exponentially increasing knowledge of stromal heterogeneity from advances in single-cell technologies, the notion that stromal cell types exist as a spectrum of unique subpopulations that have specific functions and spatial distributions in the tumor microenvironment has significant impact on tumor modeling for drug development and personalized drug testing. In this Review, we discuss the importance of incorporating stromal heterogeneity and tumor architecture, and propose an overall approach to guide the reconstruction of stromal heterogeneity in vitro for tumor modeling. These next-generation tumor models may support the development of more precise drugs targeting specific stromal cell subpopulations, as well as enable improved recapitulation of patient tumors in vitro for personalized drug testing.

Three-Dimensional Culture Models to Study Innate Anti-Tumor Immune Response: Advantages and Disadvantages

Several approaches have shown that the immune response against tumors strongly affects patients' clinical outcome. Thus, the study of anti-tumor immunity is critical to understand and potentiate the mechanisms underlying the elimination of tumor cells. Natural killer (NK) cells are members of innate immunity and represent powerful anti-tumor effectors, able to eliminate tumor cells without a previous sensitization. Thus, the study of their involvement in anti-tumor responses is critical for clinical translation. This analysis has been performed in vitro, co-incubating NK with tumor cells and quantifying the cytotoxic activity of NK cells. In vivo confirmation has been applied to overcome the limits of in vitro testing, however, the innate immunity of mice and humans is different, leading to discrepancies. Different activating receptors on NK cells and counter-ligands on tumor cells are involved in the antitumor response, and innate immunity is strictly dependent on the specific microenvironment where it takes place. Thus, three-dimensional (3D) culture systems, where NK and tumor cells can interact in a tissue-like architecture, have been created. For example, tumor cell spheroids and primary organoids derived from several tumor types, have been used so far to analyze innate immune response, replacing animal models. Herein, we briefly introduce NK cells and analyze and discuss in detail the properties of 3D tumor culture systems and their use for the study of tumor cell interactions with NK cells.

3D Bioprinting of Model Tissues That Mimic the Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer progression. Therefore, engineered TME models are being developed for fundamental research and anti-cancer drug screening. This paper reports the biofabrication of 3D-printed avascular structures that recapitulate several features of the TME. The tumor is represented by a hydrogel droplet uniformly loaded with breast cancer cells (106 cells/mL); it is embedded in the same type of hydrogel containing primary cells-tumor-associated fibroblasts isolated from the peritumoral environment and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Hoechst staining of cryosectioned tissue constructs demonstrated that cells remodeled the hydrogel and remained viable for weeks. Histological sections revealed heterotypic aggregates of malignant and peritumoral cells; moreover, the constituent cells proliferated in vitro. To investigate the interactions responsible for the experimentally observed cellular rearrangements, we built lattice models of the bioprinted constructs and simulated their evolution using Metropolis Monte Carlo methods. Although unable to replicate the complexity of the TME, the approach presented here enables the self-assembly and co-culture of several cell types of the TME. Further studies will evaluate whether the bioprinted constructs can evolve in vivo in animal models. If they become connected to the host vasculature, they may turn into a fully organized TME.