In Vitro 3D Models of Tunable Stiffness

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Elysse C. Filipe ◽  
Amelia L. Parker ◽  
Antonia L. Cadell ◽  
Gretel Major ◽  
David R. Croucher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Models ◽  
Tunable Stiffness

scholarly journals Experimental Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma—A Preclinical Perspective

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3651
Author(s):  
Alexandru Blidisel ◽  
Iasmina Marcovici ◽  
Dorina Coricovac ◽  
Florin Hut ◽  
Cristina Adriana Dehelean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Liver Carcinoma ◽  
Tumor Type

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent form of primary liver carcinoma, is a heterogenous and complex tumor type with increased incidence, poor prognosis, and high mortality. The actual therapeutic arsenal is narrow and poorly effective, rendering this disease a global health concern. Although considerable progress has been made in terms of understanding the pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutical approaches, several facets of human HCC remain undiscovered. A valuable and prompt approach to acquire further knowledge about the unrevealed aspects of HCC and novel therapeutic candidates is represented by the application of experimental models. Experimental models (in vivo and in vitro 2D and 3D models) are considered reliable tools to gather data for clinical usability. This review offers an overview of the currently available preclinical models frequently applied for the study of hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of initiation, development, and progression, as well as for the discovery of efficient treatments, highlighting the advantages and the limitations of each model. Furthermore, we also focus on the role played by computational studies (in silico models and artificial intelligence-based prediction models) as promising novel tools in liver cancer research.

scholarly journals The Role of Biomimetic Hypoxia on Cancer Cell Behaviour in 3D Models: A Systematic Review

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1334
Author(s):  
Ye Liu ◽  
Zahra Mohri ◽  
Wissal Alsheikh ◽  
Umber Cheema
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
3D Models ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Tissue Models

The development of biomimetic, human tissue models is recognized as being an important step for transitioning in vitro research findings to the native in vivo response. Oftentimes, 2D models lack the necessary complexity to truly recapitulate cellular responses. The introduction of physiological features into 3D models informs us of how each component feature alters specific cellular response. We conducted a systematic review of research papers where the focus was the introduction of key biomimetic features into in vitro models of cancer, including 3D culture and hypoxia. We analysed outcomes from these and compiled our findings into distinct groupings to ascertain which biomimetic parameters correlated with specific responses. We found a number of biomimetic features which primed cancer cells to respond in a manner which matched in vivo response.

Prevascularized, Co-Culture Model for Breast Cancer Drug Development

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Marshall ◽  
Isabel Löwstedt ◽  
Paul Gatenholm ◽  
Joel Berry
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Drug Development ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Human Tumor ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Anti Cancer

The objective of this study was to create 3D engineered tissue models to accelerate identification of safe and efficacious breast cancer drug therapies. It is expected that this platform will dramatically reduce the time and costs associated with development and regulatory approval of anti-cancer therapies, currently a multi-billion dollar endeavor [1]. Existing two-dimensional (2D) in vitro and in vivo animal studies required for identification of effective cancer therapies account for much of the high costs of anti-cancer medications and health insurance premiums borne by patients, many of whom cannot afford it. An emerging paradigm in pharmaceutical drug development is the use of three-dimensional (3D) cell/biomaterial models that will accurately screen novel therapeutic compounds, repurpose existing compounds and terminate ineffective ones. In particular, identification of effective chemotherapies for breast cancer are anticipated to occur more quickly in 3D in vitro models than 2D in vitro environments and in vivo animal models, neither of which accurately mimic natural human tumor environments [2]. Moreover, these 3D models can be multi-cellular and designed with extracellular matrix (ECM) function and mechanical properties similar to that of natural in vivo cancer environments [3].

scholarly journals The Role of Pre-Clinical 3-Dimensional Models of Osteosarcoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5499
Author(s):  
Hannah L. Smith ◽  
Stephen A. Beers ◽  
Juliet C. Gray ◽  
Janos M. Kanczler
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
3D Models ◽  
In Ovo ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
In Vivo Animal Models

Treatment for osteosarcoma (OS) has been largely unchanged for several decades, with typical therapies being a mixture of chemotherapy and surgery. Although therapeutic targets and products against cancer are being continually developed, only a limited number have proved therapeutically active in OS. Thus, the understanding of the OS microenvironment and its interactions are becoming more important in developing new therapies. Three-dimensional (3D) models are important tools in increasing our understanding of complex mechanisms and interactions, such as in OS. In this review, in vivo animal models, in vitro 3D models and in ovo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models, are evaluated and discussed as to their contribution in understanding the progressive nature of OS, and cancer research. We aim to provide insight and prospective future directions into the potential translation of 3D models in OS.

scholarly journals Microvessel Chaste: An Open Library for Spatial Modelling of Vascularized Tissues

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Grogan ◽  
A.J. Connor ◽  
B. Markelc ◽  
R.J. Muschel ◽  
P.K. Maini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Tumour Growth ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Coronary Perfusion ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
User Friendly

AbstractSpatial models of vascularized tissues are widely used in computational physiology, to study for example, tumour growth, angiogenesis, osteogenesis, coronary perfusion and oxygen delivery. Composition of such models is time-consuming, with many researchers writing custom software for this purpose. Recent advances in imaging have produced detailed three-dimensional (3D) datasets of vascularized tissues at the scale of individual cells. To fully exploit such data there is an increasing need for software that allows user-friendly composition of efficient, 3D models of vascularized tissue growth, and comparison of predictions with in vivo or in vitro experiments and other models. Microvessel Chaste is a new open-source library for building spatial models of vascularized tissue growth. It can be used to simulate vessel growth and adaptation in response to mechanical and chemical stimuli, intra- and extra-vascular transport of nutrient, growth factor and drugs, and cell proliferation in complex 3D geometries. The library provides a comprehensive Python interface to solvers implemented in C++, allowing user-friendly model composition, and integration with experimental data. Such integration is facilitated by interoperability with a growing collection of scientific Python software for image processing, statistical analysis, model annotation and visualization. The library is available under an open-source Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) licence at https://jmsgrogan.github.io/MicrovesselChaste. This article links to two reproducible example problems, showing how the library can be used to model tumour growth and angiogenesis with realistic vessel networks.

scholarly journals In Vitro Blood-Brain-Barrier Permeability and Cytotoxicity of Atorvastatin-Loaded Nanoformulation Against Glioblastoma in 2D and 3D Models

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M Lübtow ◽  
Sabrina Oertner ◽  
Sabina Quader ◽  
Elisabeth Jeanclos ◽  
Alevtina Cubukova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Oral Administration ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Drug Loading ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain

Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase of the family of statins have been suggested as therapeutic options in various tumors. Atorvastatin is a statin with potential to cross the blood-brain-barrier, however, the concentrations necessary for a cytotoxic effect against cancer cells exceeds the concentration achievable via oral administration, which made the development of a novel atorvastatin formulation necessary. We characterized the drug loading and basic physicochemical characteristics of micellar atorvastatin formulations and tested their cytotoxicity against a panel of different glioblastoma cell lines. In addition, activity against tumor spheroids formed from mouse glioma and mouse cancer stem cells, respectively, was evaluated. Our results show good activity of atorvastatin against all tested cell lines. Interestingly, in the 3D models, growth inhibition was more pronounced for the micellar formulation compared to free atorvastatin. Finally, atorvastatin penetration across a blood-brain-barrier model obtained from human induced-pluripotent stem cells was evaluated. Our results suggest that the presented micelles may enable much higher serum concentrations than possible by oral administration, however, if transport across the blood-brain-barrier is sufficient to reach therapeutic atorvastatin concentration for the treatment of glioblastoma via intravenous administration remains unclear.<br>

scholarly journals Insights to Heart Development and Cardiac Disease Models Using Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived 3D Organoids

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Kah Sheng Pang ◽  
Beatrice Xuan Ho ◽  
Woon-Khiong Chan ◽  
Boon-Seng Soh
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Disease ◽  
Heart Development ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Cardiac Diseases ◽  
Significant Progress ◽  
Fundamental Parameters ◽  
Developing Heart

Medical research in the recent years has achieved significant progress due to the increasing prominence of organoid technology. Various developed tissue organoids bridge the limitations of conventional 2D cell culture and animal models by recapitulating in vivo cellular complexity. Current 3D cardiac organoid cultures have shown their utility in modelling key developmental hallmarks of heart organogenesis, but the complexity of the organ demands a more versatile model that can investigate more fundamental parameters, such as structure, organization and compartmentalization of a functioning heart. This review will cover the prominence of cardiac organoids in recent research, unpack current in vitro 3D models of the developing heart and look into the prospect of developing physiologically appropriate cardiac organoids with translational applicability. In addition, we discuss some of the limitations of existing cardiac organoid models in modelling embryonic development of the heart and manifestation of cardiac diseases.

Design of a graphene oxide-BODIPY conjugate for glutathione depletion and photodynamic therapy

2D Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Reina ◽  
Amalia Ruiz ◽  
Barbara Richichi ◽  
Giacomo Biagiotti ◽  
Gina Elena Giacomoazzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Photodynamic Therapy ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Glutathione Transferase ◽  
Bathochromic Shift ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Glutathione Depletion ◽  
In Vitro Biocompatibility

Abstract Boron dipyrromethene derivates (BODIPYs) are promising photosensitisers (PSs) for cancer treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT). This study investigates the functionalisation of graphene oxide (GO) with a BODIPY derivate for glutathione (GSH) depletion and PDT. The functionalisation of GO with a 3,5-dichloro-8-(4-boronophenyl) BODIPY via a diol derivatisation with the phenyl boronic acid moiety at the meso position of the BODIPY core, allowed to preserve the intrinsic properties of GO. We demonstrated that both chlorine atoms were substituted by GSH in the presence of glutathione transferase (GST), inducing a relevant bathochromic shift in the absorption/emission features and thus generating the active PS. Ex vitro assessment using cell lysates containing cytoplasmatic GST revealed the intracellular catalytic mechanism for the nucleophilic substitution of the GO-BODIPY adduct with GSH. Confocal microscopy studies showed important differences in the cellular uptake of free BODIPY and GO-BODIPY and revealed the coexistence of GO-BODIPY, GO-BODIPY-GS, and GO-BODIPY-GS2 species inside vesicles and in the cytoplasm of the cells after 24 h of incubation. In vitro biocompatibility and safety of GO and GO-BODIPY were evaluated in 2D and 3D models of prostate adenocarcinoma cells (PC-3), where no toxicity was observed up to 100 µg/mL of GO/GO-BODIPY in all treated groups 24 h post-treatment (cell viability > 90%). Only a slight decrease to 80% at 100 µg/mL was observed after 48 h of incubation. We demonstrated the efficacy of a GO adduct containing an α-chlorine-substituted BODIPY for the simultaneous depletion of intracellular GSH and the photogeneration of reactive oxygen species using a halogen white light source (5.4 mW/cm2) with a maximum in the range of 500-800 nm, which significantly reduced cell viability (< 50%) after irradiation. Our study provides a new vision on how to apply BODIPY derivates and potentiate the toxicity of PDT in prostate and other types of cancer.

scholarly journals Mechanical loading of tissue engineered skeletal muscle prevents dexamethasone induced myotube atrophy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn W. Aguilar-Agon ◽  
Andrew J. Capel ◽  
Jacob W. Fleming ◽  
Darren J. Player ◽  
Neil R. W. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Mechanical Loading ◽  
Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Mechanical Load ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Murine Cell Line

Abstract Skeletal muscle atrophy as a consequence of acute and chronic illness, immobilisation, muscular dystrophies and aging, leads to severe muscle weakness, inactivity and increased mortality. Mechanical loading is thought to be the primary driver for skeletal muscle hypertrophy, however the extent to which mechanical loading can offset muscle catabolism has not been thoroughly explored. In vitro 3D-models of skeletal muscle provide a controllable, high throughput environment and mitigating many of the ethical and methodological constraints present during in vivo experimentation. This work aimed to determine if mechanical loading would offset dexamethasone (DEX) induced skeletal muscle atrophy, in muscle engineered using the C2C12 murine cell line. Mechanical loading successfully offset myotube atrophy and functional degeneration associated with DEX regardless of whether the loading occurred before or after 24 h of DEX treatment. Furthermore, mechanical load prevented increases in MuRF-1 and MAFbx mRNA expression, critical regulators of muscle atrophy. Overall, we demonstrate the application of tissue engineered muscle to study skeletal muscle health and disease, offering great potential for future use to better understand treatment modalities for skeletal muscle atrophy.

scholarly journals Models Contribution to the Understanding of Sarcoidosis Pathogenesis: “Are There Good Models of Sarcoidosis?”

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Besnard ◽  
Florence Jeny
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Therapy Response ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Sarcoidosis Patient ◽  
Clinical Heterogeneity ◽  
Transgenic Mouse Models

Sarcoidosis is a systemic, granulomatous, and noninfectious disease of unknown etiology. The clinical heterogeneity of the disease (targeted tissue(s), course of the disease, and therapy response) supports the idea that a multiplicity of trigger antigens may be involved. The pathogenesis of sarcoidosis is not yet completely understood, although in recent years, considerable efforts were put to develop novel experimental research models of sarcoidosis. In particular, sarcoidosis patient cells were used within in vitro 3D models to study their characteristics compared to control patients. Likewise, a series of transgenic mouse models were developed to highlight the role of particular signaling pathways in granuloma formation and persistence. The purpose of this review is to put in perspective the contributions of the most recent models in the understanding of sarcoidosis.

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