scholarly journals Printing the Pathway Forward in Bone Metastatic Cancer Research: Applications of 3D Engineered Models and Bioprinted Scaffolds to Recapitulate the Bone–Tumor Niche

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 507
Author(s):  
Anne M. Hughes ◽  
Alexus D. Kolb ◽  
Alison B. Shupp ◽  
Kristy M. Shine ◽  
Karen M. Bussard
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Bone Tumor ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Biocompatible Materials

Breast cancer commonly metastasizes to bone, resulting in osteolytic lesions and poor patient quality of life. The bone extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in cancer cell metastasis by means of the physical and biochemical cues it provides to support cellular crosstalk. Current two-dimensional in-vitro models lack the spatial and biochemical complexities of the native ECM and do not fully recapitulate crosstalk that occurs between the tumor and endogenous stromal cells. Engineered models such as bone-on-a-chip, extramedullary bone, and bioreactors are presently used to model cellular crosstalk and bone–tumor cell interactions, but fall short of providing a bone-biomimetic microenvironment. Three-dimensional bioprinting allows for the deposition of biocompatible materials and living cells in complex architectures, as well as provides a means to better replicate biological tissue niches in-vitro. In cancer research specifically, 3D constructs have been instrumental in seminal work modeling cancer cell dissemination to bone and bone–tumor cell crosstalk in the skeleton. Furthermore, the use of biocompatible materials, such as hydroxyapatite, allows for printing of bone-like microenvironments with the ability to be implanted and studied in in-vivo animal models. Moreover, the use of bioprinted models could drive the development of novel cancer therapies and drug delivery vehicles.

scholarly journals Hic-5 expression is a major indicator of cancer cell morphology, migration, and plasticity in three-dimensional matrices

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (14) ◽  
pp. 1704-1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anushree C. Gulvady ◽  
Fatemeh Dubois ◽  
Nicholas O. Deakin ◽  
Gregory J. Goreczny ◽  
Christopher E. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
In Vitro Invasiveness

The focal adhesion proteins Hic-5 and paxillin have been previously identified as key regulators of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell migration and morphologic mesenchymal-amoeboid plasticity in three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrices (ECMs). However, their respective roles in other cancer cell types have not been evaluated. Herein, utilizing 3D cell–derived matrices and fibronectin-coated one-dimensional substrates, we show that across a variety of cancer cell lines, the level of Hic-5 expression serves as the major indicator of the cells primary morphology, plasticity, and in vitro invasiveness. Domain mapping studies reveal sites critical to the functions of both Hic-5 and paxillin in regulating phenotype, while ectopic expression of Hic-5 in cell lines with low endogenous levels of the protein is sufficient to induce a Rac1-dependent mesenchymal phenotype and, in turn, increase amoeboid-mesenchymal plasticity and invasion. We show that the activity of vinculin, when coupled to the expression of Hic-5 is required for the mesenchymal morphology in the 3D ECM. Taken together, our results identify Hic-5 as a critical modulator of tumor cell phenotype that could be utilized in predicting tumor cell migratory and invasive behavior in vivo.

scholarly journals Three-Dimensional Spheroids as In Vitro Preclinical Models for Cancer Research

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1186
Author(s):  
Bárbara Pinto ◽  
Ana C. Henriques ◽  
Patrícia M. A. Silva ◽  
Hassan Bousbaa
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
In Vivo Testing

Most cancer biologists still rely on conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture techniques to test in vitro anti-tumor drugs prior to in vivo testing. However, the vast majority of promising preclinical drugs have no or weak efficacy in real patients with tumors, thereby delaying the discovery of successful therapeutics. This is because 2D culture lacks cell–cell contacts and natural tumor microenvironment, important in tumor signaling and drug response, thereby resulting in a reduced malignant phenotype compared to the real tumor. In this sense, three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cancer cells that better recapitulate in vivo cell environments emerged as scientifically accurate and low cost cancer models for preclinical screening and testing of new drug candidates before moving to expensive and time-consuming animal models. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of 3D tumor systems and highlight the strategies for spheroid construction and evaluation tools of targeted therapies, focusing on their applicability in cancer research. Examples of the applicability of 3D culture for the evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicines are discussed.

scholarly journals A critical role of CCR7 in invasiveness and metastasis of SW620 colon cancer cell in vitro and in vivo

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 1037-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Shuyi ◽  
Duan Juping ◽  
Zhou Zhiqun ◽  
Pang Qiong ◽  
Ji Wuyang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Colon Cancer Cell

scholarly journals A targeted complement-dependent strategy to improve the outcome of mAb therapy, and characterization in a murine model of metastatic cancer

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (25) ◽  
pp. 6043-6051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Elvington ◽  
Yuxiang Huang ◽  
B. Paul Morgan ◽  
Fei Qiao ◽  
Nico van Rooijen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Complement Activation ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
Protein Targets ◽  
Complement Inhibitors ◽  
Activation Products ◽  
Cellular Immune

Abstract Complement inhibitors expressed on tumor cells provide an evasion mechanism against mAb therapy and may modulate the development of an acquired antitumor immune response. Here we investigate a strategy to amplify mAb-targeted complement activation on a tumor cell, independent of a requirement to target and block complement inhibitor expression or function, which is difficult to achieve in vivo. We constructed a murine fusion protein, CR2Fc, and demonstrated that the protein targets to C3 activation products deposited on a tumor cell by a specific mAb, and amplifies mAb-dependent complement activation and tumor cell lysis in vitro. In syngeneic models of metastatic lymphoma (EL4) and melanoma (B16), CR2Fc significantly enhanced the outcome of mAb therapy. Subsequent studies using the EL4 model with various genetically modified mice and macrophage-depleted mice revealed that CR2Fc enhanced the therapeutic effect of mAb therapy via both macrophage-dependent FcγR-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and by direct complement-mediated lysis. Complement activation products can also modulate adaptive immunity, but we found no evidence that either mAb or CR2Fc treatment had any effect on an antitumor humoral or cellular immune response. CR2Fc represents a potential adjuvant treatment to increase the effectiveness of mAb therapy of cancer.

scholarly journals The CCL2-CCR2 astrocyte-cancer cell axis in tumor extravasation at the brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (26) ◽  
pp. eabg8139
Author(s):  
Cynthia Hajal ◽  
Yoojin Shin ◽  
Leanne Li ◽  
Jean Carlos Serrano ◽  
Tyler Jacks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Cell Axis ◽  
Chemokine Ligand ◽  
Chemokine Ligand 2 ◽  
The Brain

Although brain metastases are common in cancer patients, little is known about the mechanisms of cancer extravasation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a key step in the metastatic cascade that regulates the entry of cancer cells into the brain parenchyma. Here, we show, in a three-dimensional in vitro BBB microvascular model, that astrocytes promote cancer cell transmigration via their secretion of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2). We found that this chemokine, produced primarily by astrocytes, promoted the chemotaxis and chemokinesis of cancer cells via their C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), with no notable changes in vascular permeability. These findings were validated in vivo, where CCR2-deficient cancer cells exhibited significantly reduced rates of arrest and transmigration in mouse brain capillaries. Our results reveal that the CCL2-CCR2 astrocyte-cancer cell axis plays a fundamental role in extravasation and, consequently, metastasis to the brain.

scholarly journals Cathepsin E enhances anticancer activity of doxorubicin on human prostate cancer cells showing resistance to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 391 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Yasukochi ◽  
Tomoyo Kawakubo ◽  
Seiji Nakamura ◽  
Kenji Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Prostate Cancer Cell ◽  
Human Prostate ◽  
Human Prostate Cancer ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Cathepsin E

Abstract We previously described that cathepsin E specifically induces growth arrest and apoptosis in several human prostate cancer cell lines in vitro by catalyzing the proteolytic release of soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) from the tumor cell surface. It also prevents tumor growth and metastasis in vivo through multiple mechanisms, including induction of apoptosis, angiogenesis inhibition and enhanced immune responses. Using the prostate cancer cell line PPC-1, which is relatively resistant to cell death by doxorubicin (40–50% cytotoxicity), we first report that a combination treatment with cathepsin E can overcome resistance of the cells to this agent. In vitro studies showed that combined treatment of PPC-1 cells with the two agents synergistically induces viability loss, mainly owing to down-regulation of a short form of the FLICE inhibitory protein FLIP. The enhanced antitumor activity was corroborated by in vivo studies with athymic mice bearing PPC-1 xenografts. Intratumoral application of cathepsin E in doxorubicin-treated mice results in tumor cell apoptosis and tumor regression in xenografts by enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis through doxorubicin-induced c-FLIP down-regulation and by a decrease in tumor cell proliferation. These results indicate that combination of cathepsin E and doxorubicin is sufficient to overcome resistance to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in chemoresistant prostate cancer PPC-1 cells, thus indicating therapeutic potential for clinical use.

scholarly journals Natural and Synthetic Biomaterials for Engineering Multicellular Tumor Spheroids

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2506
Author(s):  
Advika Kamatar ◽  
Gokhan Gunay ◽  
Handan Acar
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
Multicellular Tumor Spheroids ◽  
Tumor Spheroids ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Natural And Synthetic

The lack of in vitro models that represent the native tumor microenvironment is a significant challenge for cancer research. Two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture has long been the standard for in vitro cell-based studies. However, differences between 2D culture and the in vivo environment have led to poor translation of cancer research from in vitro to in vivo models, slowing the progress of the field. Recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) culture have improved the ability of in vitro culture to replicate in vivo conditions. Although 3D cultures still cannot achieve the complexity of the in vivo environment, they can still better replicate the cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions of solid tumors. Multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) are three-dimensional (3D) clusters of cells with tumor-like features such as oxygen gradients and drug resistance, and represent an important translational tool for cancer research. Accordingly, natural and synthetic polymers, including collagen, hyaluronic acid, Matrigel®, polyethylene glycol (PEG), alginate and chitosan, have been used to form and study MCTS for improved clinical translatability. This review evaluates the current state of biomaterial-based MCTS formation, including advantages and disadvantages of the different biomaterials and their recent applications to the field of cancer research, with a focus on the past five years.

scholarly journals Non-Invasive Quantification of the Growth of Cancer Cell Colonies by a Portable Optical Coherence Tomography

Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Tsan Tsai ◽  
Bo-Huei Huang ◽  
Chun-Chih Yeh ◽  
Kin Fong Lei ◽  
Ngan-Ming Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cancer Cell Line ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Non Invasive

Investigation of tumor development is essential in cancer research. In the laboratory, living cell culture is a standard bio-technology for studying cellular response under tested conditions to predict in vivo cellular response. In particular, the colony formation assay has become a standard experiment for characterizing the tumor development in vitro. However, quantification of the growth of cell colonies under a microscope is difficult because they are suspended in a three-dimensional environment. Thus, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was develop in this study to monitor the growth of cell colonies. Cancer cell line of Huh 7 was used and the cells were applied on a layer of agarose hydrogel, i.e., a non-adherent surface. Then, cell colonies were gradually formed on the surface. The OCT technique was used to scan the cell colonies every day to obtain quantitative data for describing their growth. The results revealed the average volume increased with time due to the formation of cell colonies day-by-day. Additionally, the distribution of cell colony volume was analyzed to show the detailed information of the growth of the cell colonies. In summary, the OCT provides a non-invasive quantification technique for monitoring the growth of the cell colonies. From the OCT images, objective and precise information is obtained for higher prediction of the in vivo tumor development.

scholarly journals Cancer Cell Lines Are Useful Model Systems for Medical Research

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirabelli ◽  
Coppola ◽  
Salvatore
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Model Systems

Cell lines are in vitro model systems that are widely used in different fields of medical research, especially basic cancer research and drug discovery. Their usefulness is primarily linked to their ability to provide an indefinite source of biological material for experimental purposes. Under the right conditions and with appropriate controls, authenticated cancer cell lines retain most of the genetic properties of the cancer of origin. During the last few years, comparing genomic data of most cancer cell lines has corroborated this statement and those that were observed studying the tumoral tissue equivalents included in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We are at the disposal of comprehensive open access cell line datasets describing their molecular and cellular alterations at an unprecedented level of accuracy. This aspect, in association with the possibility of setting up accurate culture conditions that mimic the in vivo microenvironment (e.g., three-dimensional (3D) coculture), has strengthened the importance of cancer cell lines for continuing to sustain medical research fields. However, it is important to consider that the appropriate use of cell lines needs to follow established guidelines for guaranteed data reproducibility and quality, and to prevent the occurrence of detrimental events (i.e., those that are linked to cross-contamination and mycoplasma contamination)

scholarly journals ABL Genomic Editing Sufficiently Abolishes Oncogenesis of Human Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1399
Author(s):  
Shu-Huey Chen ◽  
Yao-Yu Hsieh ◽  
Huey-En Tzeng ◽  
Chun-Yu Lin ◽  
Kai-Wen Hsu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Growth ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Leukemia Cell ◽  
K562 Cells ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Clinical Samples

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is the most common type of leukemia in adults, and more than 90% of CML patients harbor the abnormal Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) that encodes the BCR-ABL oncoprotein. Although the ABL kinase inhibitor (imatinib) has proven to be very effective in achieving high remission rates and improving prognosis, up to 33% of CML patients still cannot achieve an optimal response. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to specifically target the BCR-ABL junction region in K562 cells, resulting in the inhibition of cancer cell growth and oncogenesis. Due to the variety of BCR-ABL junctions in CML patients, we utilized gene editing of the human ABL gene for clinical applications. Using the ABL gene-edited virus in K562 cells, we detected 41.2% indels in ABL sgRNA_2-infected cells. The ABL-edited cells reveled significant suppression of BCR-ABL protein expression and downstream signals, inhibiting cell growth and increasing cell apoptosis. Next, we introduced the ABL gene-edited virus into a systemic K562 leukemia xenograft mouse model, and bioluminescence imaging of the mice showed a significant reduction in the leukemia cell population in ABL-targeted mice, compared to the scramble sgRNA virus-injected mice. In CML cells from clinical samples, infection with the ABL gene-edited virus resulted in more than 30.9% indels and significant cancer cell death. Notably, no off-target effects or bone marrow cell suppression was found using the ABL gene-edited virus, ensuring both user safety and treatment efficacy. This study demonstrated the critical role of the ABL gene in maintaining CML cell survival and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. ABL gene editing-based therapy might provide a potential strategy for imatinib-insensitive or resistant CML patients.

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