Occupational exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder: A rapid review

BACKGROUND

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can result from occupational exposures and poses a considerable burden to workers, their families, workplaces and to society in general.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to conduct a rapid review of the literature to answer the question: "Which occupations have exposures that may lead to a PTSD diagnosis?"

METHODS

A rapid review was conducted in six steps: review question development, literature search, study selection (inclusion/exclusion), study characterization, data extraction, and data synthesis.

RESULTS

The search identified 3428 unique references which were reviewed to find 16 relevant studies in 23 articles. The articles revealed associations between PTSD and rescue workers (police, firefighters, etc.), health care professionals, transit drivers, and bank employees which seem well supported by the literature. Some studies also suggest potential associations with PTSD and construction and extraction, electricians, manufacturing, installation, maintenance and repair, transportation and material moving, and clerical workers.

CONCLUSIONS

A rapid review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature of PTSD prevalence or treatment suggests many occupations have exposures that could be associated with PTSD. Occupational traumatic events were most often associated with PTSD diagnosis. More research is needed to better understand the association between occupation and PTSD.

Abstract 5783: In vitro modeling of patient derived bladder cancer cell lines in 3D culture systems

Background: Drug screening is a key component for drug development and optimizing anti-tumor therapies. Traditionally, in vitro drug testing has been conducted in monolayer systems that are not capable of recapitulating the tumor complexity. Recently, the field has witnessed the rise of interest in 3D culture systems which are capable of reproducing tumor complexity while circumventing the cost associated with in vivo drug testing. Our access to fresh patient samples has enabled us to establish a novel 3D culture system consisting of bladder cancer patient derived cell lines. Using a wide range of matrices and co-culture conditions with tumor associated stromal cells we were able to establish a unique high throughput drug testing tool.

Methods: Matrigel and collagen based matrices were used to establish 3D culture systems of bladder cancer patient derived cells. Tumor cells were cultured in 3D conditions either alone or in coculture with tumor associated stromal cells. Response to Cisplatin and PI3K pathway targeted agents (i.e. LY LY3023414) was tested in both conditions. High throughput imaging via Thermo ArrayScan XTI was used to assess the biological behavior of spheroids as well as their response to therapies overtime. Confocal microscopy was used to validate the biological mimicry of tumor derived spheroids to the original patient tumors. Integration of RNA-seq data from the patient-derived tumor cells with the biological behavior and therapeutic response in 3D culture is ongoing for the purpose of characterizing the 3D model

Results: In 3D culture conditions; bladder cancer derived cells were able to re-express E-cadherin that was suppressed upon propagation in monolayer. The re-expression of the epithelial marker (E-cadherin) observed in 3D accurately mirrors the original tumors; which are of epithelial origin. Phenotypic differences were observed across different matrix conditions and also among different tumor derived cells. Bladder 3D organoids of luminal origin were more sensitive to both cisplatin and PI3K pathway inhibitors as compared to those of basal origin. This drug response profile was reminiscent of what we observed in vivo using patient derived xenograft (PDX) models derived from the same tumors. The phenotypic as well as the drug response variations observed in our 3D culture correlated with variable gene expression profiles (luminal vs basal) that were detected in our RNA-seq data.

Conclusion: As compared to monolayer, 3D culture is more capable of recapitulating tumor complexity and accurately reflects the drug resistance / sensitivity profiles that are observed in PDX models in vivo. Therefore, a 3D culture system provides an invaluable tool for high throughput screening of drugs in bladder cancer and providing a better understanding of tumor biology in the search of more effective treatments for bladder cancer patients.

Citation Format: May Elbanna, Sreenivasulu Chintala, Eric Ciamporcero, Remi Adelayie, Ashley Orillion, Sreevani Arisa, Nur Damayanti, Michelle Grimard, TJ Puls, Sherry Harbin, Melissa Fishel, Roberto Pili. In vitro modeling of patient derived bladder cancer cell lines in 3D culture systems [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5783. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5783

Abstract 613: Astrocytes and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) influence the migration and drug response of glioblastoma cells in a 3D culture model

Glioblastoma, a brain cancer with low prognosis, is characterized by rapid infiltration and drug resistance that leads to tumor reappearance. Cell-extrinsic factors, such as the development of a supportive microenvironment and synergistic relationships between normal cells and GBM play an important role in the tumor successful progression. Despite the importance of the microenvironment as a regulator of tumor response, there is a lack of predictive in vitro models that represent the dimensionality and characteristics of the glioma microenvironment. To this end, we developed a 3D in vitro model that recapitulates the composition and physical features of the GBM microenvironment by generating a composite matrix of a hyaluronan supported by collagen. Human astrocytes and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) were incorporated into the matrix and co-cultured with GBM cells to evaluate the effect of normal cells on the GBM 3D cell migration and drug response. Time-lapse microscopy was used to evaluate the 3D migration distance, velocity and persistence of GBM cell lines GBM10, GBM43 and GBAM1 (CD133+) during 18h after drug treatment with temozolomide and a STAT3-inhibitor. Survival of GBM cells was also evaluated 18h and 72 h after drug treatment. All results were compared to standard monolayer culture. Presence of astrocytes and ECFCs increased GBM net migration distance and velocity in the 3D model and in 2D monolayer culture. Additionally, viability of GBM after drug treatment was higher when astrocytes and ECFCs were present in the 3D model compared to only GBM 3D culture and standard monolayer culture. Our results support the importance of the 3D-microenvironment as modulator of tumor response and provide a tunable in vitro platform for primary brain tumor studies aimed to compliment in vivo model observations.

Citation Format: Marisol Herrera-Perez, Melissa Fishel, Sherry Harbin, Jenna Rickus. Astrocytes and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) influence the migration and drug response of glioblastoma cells in a 3D culture model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 613.