scholarly journals GlomSpheres as a 3D co-culture spheroid model of the kidney glomerulus for rapid drug-screening

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Tuffin ◽  
Musleeha Chesor ◽  
Valeryia Kuzmuk ◽  
Tim Johnson ◽  
Simon C. Satchell ◽  
...  

AbstractThe glomerulus is the filtration unit of the kidney. Injury to any component of this specialised structure leads to impaired filtration and eventually fibrosis and chronic kidney disease. Current two and three dimensional (2D and 3D) models that attempt to recreate structure and interplay between glomerular cells are imperfect. Most 2D models are simplistic and unrepresentative, and 3D organoid approaches are currently difficult to reproduce at scale and do not fit well with current industrial drug-screening approaches. Here we report a rapidly generated and highly reproducible 3D co-culture spheroid model (GlomSpheres), better demonstrating the specialised physical and molecular structure of a glomerulus. Co-cultured using a magnetic spheroid formation approach, conditionally immortalised (CI) human podocytes and glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs) deposited mature, organized isoforms of collagen IV and Laminin. We demonstrate a dramatic upregulation of key podocyte (podocin, nephrin and podocalyxin) and GEnC (pecam-1) markers. Electron microscopy revealed podocyte foot process interdigitation and endothelial vessel formation. Incubation with pro-fibrotic agents (TGF-β1, Adriamycin) induced extracellular matrix (ECM) dysregulation and podocyte loss, which were attenuated by the anti-fibrotic agent Nintedanib. Incubation with plasma from patients with kidney disease induced acute podocyte loss and ECM dysregulation relative to patient matched remission plasma, and Nintedanib reduced podocyte loss. Finally, we developed a rapid imaging approach to demonstrate the model’s usefulness in higher throughput pharmaceutical screening. GlomSpheres therefore represent a robust, scalable, replacement for 2D in vitro glomerular disease models.

Author(s):  
Lauren Marshall ◽  
Isabel Löwstedt ◽  
Paul Gatenholm ◽  
Joel Berry

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].


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5499
Author(s):  
Hannah L. Smith ◽  
Stephen A. Beers ◽  
Juliet C. Gray ◽  
Janos M. Kanczler

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10822
Author(s):  
Agata Winiarska ◽  
Monika Knysak ◽  
Katarzyna Nabrdalik ◽  
Janusz Gumprecht ◽  
Tomasz Stompór

The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been increasing worldwide, and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains one of the leading long-term complications of T2D. Several lines of evidence indicate that glucose-lowering agents prevent the onset and progression of DKD in its early stages but are of limited efficacy in later stages of DKD. However, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) antagonists were shown to exert nephroprotective effects in patients with established DKD, i.e., those who had a reduced glomerular filtration rate. These effects cannot be solely attributed to the improved metabolic control of diabetes. In our review, we attempted to discuss the interactions of both groups of agents with inflammation and oxidative stress—the key pathways contributing to organ damage in the course of diabetes. SGLT2i and GLP-1R antagonists attenuate inflammation and oxidative stress in experimental in vitro and in vivo models of DKD in several ways. In addition, we have described experiments showing the same protective mechanisms as found in DKD in non-diabetic kidney injury models as well as in some tissues and organs other than the kidney. The interaction between both drug groups, inflammation and oxidative stress appears to have a universal mechanism of organ protection in diabetes and other diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaozhi Zhao ◽  
Xuefeng Qiu ◽  
Yanting Zhang ◽  
Shiwei Zhang ◽  
Xiaoping Gu ◽  
...  

It has been shown that administration of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) enhanced structural and functional recovery of renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Low engraftment of stem cells, however, limits the therapeutic effects of AdMSCs. The present study was designed to enhance the therapeutic effects of AdMSCs by delivering AdMSCs in a three-dimensional (3D) aggregates form. Microwell was used to produce 3D AdMSCs aggregates. In vitro data indicated that AdMSCs in 3D aggregates were less susceptible to oxidative and hypoxia stress induced by 200 μM peroxide and hypoxia/reoxygenation, respectively, compared with those cultured in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer. Furthermore, AdMSCs in 3D aggregates secreted more proangiogenic factors than those cultured in 2D monolayer. 2D AdMSCs or 3D AdMSCs aggregates were injected into renal cortex immediately after induction of renal IR injury. In vivo data revealed that 3D aggregates enhanced the effects of AdMSCs in recovering function and structure after renal IR injury. Improved grafted AdMSCs were observed in kidney injected with 3D aggregates compared with AdMSCs cultured in 2D monolayer. Our results demonstrated that 3D AdMSCs aggregated produced by microwell enhanced the retention and therapeutic effects of AdMSCs for renal IR injury.


Author(s):  
Ogechi Ogoke ◽  
Osama Yousef ◽  
Cortney Ott ◽  
Allison Kalinousky ◽  
Wayne Lin ◽  
...  

Three-dimensional (3D) collective cell migration (CCM) is critical for improving liver cell therapies, eliciting mechanisms of liver disease, and modeling human liver development and organogenesis. Mechanisms of CCM differ in 2D vs. 3D systems, and existing models are limited to 2D or transwell-based systems, suggesting there is a need for improved 3D models of CCM. To recreate liver 3D CCM, we engineered in vitro 3D models based upon a morphogenetic transition that occurs during liver organogenesis, which occurs rapidly between E8.5 and E9.5 (mouse). During this morphogenetic transition, 3D CCM exhibits co-migration (multiple cell types), thick-strand interactions with surrounding septum transversum mesenchyme (STM), branching morphogenesis, and 3D interstitial migration. Here, we engineer several 3D in vitro culture systems, each of which mimics one of these processes in vitro. In mixed spheroids bearing both liver cells and uniquely MRC-5 (fetal lung) fibroblasts, we observed evidence of co-migration, and a significant increase in length and number of liver spheroid protrusions, which was highly sensitive to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) stimulation. In MRC-5-conditioned medium (M-CM) experiments, we observed dose-dependent branching morphogenesis associated with an upregulation of Twist1, which was inhibited by a broad TGFβ inhibitor. In models in which liver spheroids and MRC-5 spheroids were co-cultured, we observed complex strand morphogenesis, whereby thin, linear, 3D liver cell strands attach to the MRC-5 spheroid, anchor and thicken to form permanent and thick anchoring contacts between the two spheroids. In these spheroid co-culture models, we also observed spheroid fusion and strong evidence for interstitial migration. In conclusion, we present several novel cultivation systems that recreate distinct features of liver 3D CCM. These methodologies will greatly improve our molecular, cellular, and tissue-scale understanding of liver organogenesis, liver diseases like cancer, and liver cell therapy, and will also serve as a tool to bridge conventional 2D studies and preclinical in vivo studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilla Krokker ◽  
Borbála Szabó ◽  
Kinga Németh ◽  
Rebeka Tóháti ◽  
Balázs Sarkadi ◽  
...  

In vitro monolayer conditions are not able to reproduce the complexity of solid tumors, still, there is scarce information about the 3D cell culture models of endocrine tumor types. Therefore, our aim was to develop in vitro 3D tumor models by different methodologies for adrenocortical carcinoma (H295R), pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (RC-4B/C and GH3) and pheochromocytoma (PC-12). Various methodologies were tested. Cell biological assays (cell viability, proliferation and live cell ratio) and steroid hormone production by HPLC-MS/MS method were applied to monitor cellular well-being. Cells in hanging drops and embedded in matrigel formed multicellular aggregates but they were difficult to handle and propagate for further experiments. The most widely used methods: ultra-low attachment plate (ULA) and spheroid inducing media (SFDM) were not the most viable 3D model of RC-4B/C and GH3 cells that would be suitable for further experiments. Combining spheroid generation with matrigel scaffold H295R 3D models were viable for 7 days, RC-4B/C and GH3 3D models for 7–10 days. ULA and SFDM 3D models of PC-12 cells could be used for further experiments up to 4 days. Higher steroid production in 3D models compared to conventional monolayer culture was detected. Endocrine tumor cells require extracellular matrix as scaffold for viable 3D models that can be one reason behind the lack of the usage of endocrine 3D cultures. Our models help understanding the pathogenesis of endocrine tumors and revealing potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. They could also serve as an excellent platform for preclinical drug test screening.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Jing-Ying Zhao ◽  
Yu-Bin Wu

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is strongly associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) transition. Huaier extract (HE) protects against kidney injury; albeit, the underlying mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that HE reduces kidney injury by inhibiting ERS. In this study, using an AKI-CKD mouse model of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), we evaluated the effect of HE on AKI-CKD transition. We also explored the underlying molecular mechanisms in this animal model and in the HK-2 human kidney cell line. The results showed that HE treatment improved the renal function, demonstrated by a significant decrease in serum creatinine levels after IRI. HE appreciably reduced the degree of kidney injury and fibrosis and restored the expression of the microRNA miR-1271 after IRI. Furthermore, HE reduced the expression of ERS markers glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and inhibited apoptosis in the IRI group. This in vivo effect was supported by in vitro results in which HE inhibited apoptosis and decreased the expression of CHOP and GRP78 induced by ERS. We demonstrated that CHOP is a target of miR-1271. In conclusion, HE reduces kidney injury, probably by inhibiting apoptosis and decreasing the expression of GRP78 and CHOP via miR-1271 upregulation.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarema Gilazieva ◽  
Aleksei Ponomarev ◽  
Catrin Rutland ◽  
Albert Rizvanov ◽  
Valeriya Solovyeva

One of the promising directions in personalized medicine is the use of three-dimensional (3D) tumor models such as spheroids and organoids. Spheroids and organoids are three-dimensional cultures of tumor cells that can be obtained from patient tissue and, using high-throughput personalized medicine methods, provide a suitable therapy for that patient. These 3D models can be obtained from most types of tumors, which provides opportunities for the creation of biobanks with appropriate patient materials that can be used to screen drugs and facilitate the development of therapeutic agents. It should be noted that the use of spheroids and organoids would expand the understanding of tumor biology and its microenvironment, help develop new in vitro platforms for drug testing and create new therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss 3D tumor spheroid and organoid models, their advantages and disadvantages, and evaluate their promising use in personalized medicine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 581-581
Author(s):  
Ricardo J. Antonia ◽  
Kan Toriguchi ◽  
Eveliina Karelehto ◽  
Dania Annuar ◽  
Luika Timmerman ◽  
...  

581 Background: Despite standard treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin, median survival for unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is < 1 year. Clearly, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The paucity of targetable mutations in ICC and the as yet unproven benefit of genetically targeted drugs led us to ask whether a reliable clinical benefit may be revealed by patient-specific therapeutic testing in novel models of ICC. Here we describe our ability to establish patient-derived three-dimensional organoid cultures (PDO) that enable individualized identification of active single agents or drug combinations in surrogate models of ICC. Methods: To model patient-specific drug responses, we used the freshly resected ICCs from small samples of single patient tumors to generate PDXs and PDOs, small spheroidal clusters of tumor cells grown in vitro. We have employed a high-throughput drug screening platform using AI-enhanced robotics (Yamaha Motor Corporation) to identify and distribute single, uniformly sized PDOs into 384-well ultra-low adherent plates. This is coupled with a TECAN D300e drug dispenser that rapidly delivers nanoliter volumes of a 34-drug panel, thereby facilitating rapid, reliable drug response analyses. Results: Our data show that PDOs retain characteristic genomic and histological features of the patients’ tumors. Drug responses were specific to each patient tumor, but PDOs from all patients responded to a greater or lesser degree to mTOR inhibition, suggesting that this pathway is important in ICC. The responses of PDO to the mTOR inhibitor Sapanisertib (INK128), was recapitulated in the same patient’s PDX. Further, INK128 was synergistic with gemcitabine in patient 970 PDOs as well as in vivo in PDX also from patient 970. Conclusions: As it is believed that PDX can predict patient responses to drugs, our results suggest that PDO may also predict patient drug responses. The establishment of PDO may allow economical patient-specific, high throughput drug screens that could ultimately inform clinical practice. [Table: see text]


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadia A Kamal ◽  
Joshua G Travers ◽  
Allison E Schafer ◽  
Qing Ma ◽  
Prasad Devarajan ◽  
...  

Background: Cardiorenal syndrome type 2 (CRS2), the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to chronic heart failure (CHF), is clinically associated with increased incidence of organ failure and reduced survival. Heart and kidney damage in CRS2 is greatly caused by chronic stimulation of the adrenergic and endothelin receptors as a result of elevated neurohormonal signaling of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and its downstream endothelin (ET) system, respectively. These receptors belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). While chronic GPCR stimulation and its associated upregulated interaction between the G-protein βγ subunit (Gβγ), the GPCR-kinase 2 (GRK2) and β-arrestin are known to be central to various cardiovascular diseases, their role in kidney diseases are by far unknown and beg investigation. Objective: CRS2 animal studies utilize combine ischemic cardiac injury and renal injury, which is of poor clinical relevance. Our study investigates: (1) the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a model of non-ischemic CHF without inducing surgical kidney injury, aiming to establish a more clinically relevant CRS2 model. (2) The possible salutary effect of renal GPCR-Gβγ inhibition in CKD developed in the established CRS2 model. Methods and results: We utilized transverse aortic constriction (TAC) as a non-ischemic hypertrophic murine CHF model. Twelve weeks after TAC, mice developed CKD secondary to CHF suggesting a CRS2 model. This was associated with elevated renal GPCR-Gβγ signaling and ET system expression. Importantly, systemic pharmacologic Gβγ inhibition by gallein attenuated these renal pathological changes in parallel with alleviated CHF. A direct effect of gallein on the kidney was subsequently confirmed in a bilateral ischemia reperfusion acute kidney injury (AKI) mouse model where it attenuated renal dysfunction, tissue damage and ET system activation, indicating a direct role for GPCR-Gβγ signaling in AKI. Further, in vitro studies in mouse embryonic fibroblasts showed a key role for ET receptor-Gβγ signaling in fibroblast activation. Conclusion: Our data suggest TAC as a clinically relevant CRS2 model and GPCR-Gβγ inhibition as a novel therapeutic approach for CRS2 and AKI.


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