Work partially funded by Prostate Cancer Canada (grant # D2014-4 to SG and CJD) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant # MOP-111069 to SG). We would like to thank Dr. Richard Poulin for editorial assistance and Mrs. Chanel Dupont for technical assistance.

HINWEIS: Keine Ethik Betracht, da tierische und menschliche Krebszellen erworben wurden oder uns freundlicherweise zur Verfügung gestellt. 1. Erstellen Collagen Stecker (Pseudo-Primärtumor) <ol><li> Bereiten Sie eine Kollagen-Dispersion. Typ I aus Rattenschwanzsehnen (RTT) Kollagen kann entweder extrahiert und sterilisiert werden , wie zuvor 17 berichtet, oder gekauft haben . Disperse gefriergetrocknet RTT Kollagen (3,25-3,50 mg / ml in 0,02 N Essigsäure) mit einem Mixer (High-Speed-Einstellung, fünf 2 min läuft) für eine gleichmäßige Durchmischung. </li><li> Harvest (Trypsin-EDTA, in der Regel) und verwenden Trypanblau-Ausschluss für das Zählen lebender Zellen unter Verwendung eines Hämozytometers. Stellen Sie die gewünschte Zelldichte (5 x 10 4 Zellen pro Stecker). </li><li> Bereiten Sie alle Lösungen (NaOH, fötale Rinderserum, DMEM 5x, NaHCO 3) getrennt (Tabelle 1) unter sterilen Bedingungen und gekühlt auf Eis halten. Anmerkung: Die Reihenfolge der Zugabe der verschiedenen Lösungen wichtig ist osmotischen Schocks oder saure in Zellen zu verhindern. </li><li> Führen Zelldispersion (1,25 x 10 &amp; sup6 ; Zellen) in die endgültige Kollagenlösung (5 ml) so schnell wie möglich. Gut mischen (durch Pipettieren oben und unten), während Luftblasen zu vermeiden, und dann verteilen schnell 200 ul der ready-to-use-Lösung in jede Vertiefung einer 96-Well-Platte. schlagen Sie vorsichtig die Multi-Well-Platte auf der Arbeitsfläche Oberfläche der Zellkultur Haube Luftblasen zu entfernen und die Lösung gleichmäßig in den Vertiefungen zu verbreiten. </li><li> Nach dem Befüllen alle Vertiefungen (dieser Schritt dauert etwa 15-20 Minuten pro 96-Well-Platte), bewahren Sie sie in den Inkubator. </li><li> Die Platte bei 37 ° C von 2 h bis über Nacht. Collagen Gelierung (dh Fibrillogenese) tritt innerhalb von 30 min. Hinzufügen Kulturmedium (100 &amp; mgr; l / Vertiefung) zu der Kultur einer Inkubation über Nacht durchzuführen. </li></ol> 2. Erste Schicht von Fibringelstruktur <ol><li> Fibrinogenlösung Vorbereitung. HINWEIS: Die gleiche Charge von Fibrin-Gel sollte idealerweise für reproduzierbarer Resul verwendet werdents, wie Fibrin-Gel-Bildung zwischen verschiedenen Chargen von kommerziellen gefriergetrocknetem Fibrinogen kann variieren. <ol><li> Verwenden Sie immer eine frisch zubereitete Fibrinogen-Lösung. Bringen Sie die gefriergetrockneten Fibrinogen auf Raumtemperatur vor dem Öffnen der Flasche Hydrat eine Kristallbildung zu vermeiden. </li><li> Progressiv das Fibrinogen in vorgewärmten (37 ° C) Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) auflösen mit Ca 2+ / Mg 2+ bei einer Arbeitskonzentration von 3 mg / ml (erwägen , einen 15% Überschuß des Mindest Endvolumen erforderliche Vorbereitung : zB 17.25 mg in 5,75 ml einer 5 ml - Lösung). <ol><li> In vorgewärmten HBSS tropfenweise auf den ersten Fibrinogenfragmenten löslich zu machen. Break down größere Fragmente mit einem Spatel in den Becher. Agitieren den Becher von Zeit zu Zeit das Mischen zu erleichtern. Verwenden Sie keine Rührerplatte während des Verfahrens verwendet werden. Man löst das verbleibende Pulver durch Pipettieren der Suspension auf und ab. </li></ol></li><li> Halten Sie die Fibrinogenlösung lauwarm während steriLIZING die Lösung, indem sie durch ein 0,22 um-Filter geleitet. Hinweis: Wenn die HBSS nicht warm genug ist oder das Fibrinogen nicht vollständig gelöst ist, kann die Lösung den Filter verstopfen. Setzen Sie gegebenenfalls Filter ein- oder zweimal, was die Fibrinogenkonzentration verringern kann und damit Fibringerinnsels Steifigkeit. </li><li> Suspend die Zellen von Interesse (zB Endothelzellen) in ready-to-use Fibrinogen - Lösung , während seine endgültige Einstellen der Lautstärke, als alternatives Verfahren. </li></ol></li><li> Vorbereiten der Thrombin-Lösungen. <ol><li> Bereiten Sie eine Stammlösung in ddH 2 O (50 NIH - Einheiten / ml), dann sterilisieren es einen 0,22 &amp; mgr; m - Filter. </li><li> Verwenden Sie ein Fibrinogen / Thrombin-Verhältnis ≥1: 0,0075 (v / v), um das Fibrin-Gel zu erzeugen. </li></ol></li><li> Die Erzeugung des Fibringelstruktur. <ol><li> Halten Sie das sterile Fibrinogen und Thrombin-Stammlösungen auf Eis während all den nächsten Schritten. Die Fibringele können in Platten mit 24 Vertiefungen zu bilden. </li><li> Unverzüglich Overlay the Oberfläche jeder Vertiefung mit der Fibrinogen-Lösung (200 &amp; mgr; l / Well) während der Luftblasenbildung zu vermeiden. Verfahren 6 Vertiefungen zu einer Zeit. </li><li> Sobald vollständig die Fibrinogenlösung, die Oberfläche der Vertiefungen bedeckt, in einem 45 ° -Winkel der Platte kippen und 1,5 ul Thrombinlösung in die erste Vertiefung mit Hilfe des Thrombins in der Mitte des Bohrlochs fallen und dann auf die Platte leicht geschwenkt horizontal 1-2 sec. <ol><li> Lassen Sie die Platte in einer stabilen Position unter der Laminar - Flow - Haube (5-10 min) , bis die Gelierung / Gerinnungsprozess abgeschlossen ist (NB: Polymerisation darf nicht gestört werden, zum Beispiel indem man die Platte in den Inkubator zu transportieren). </li></ol></li><li> Sobald die ersten sechs Bohrungen polymerisiert haben, wiederholen Sie die gleiche Sequenz (dh die drei vorhergehenden Schritte) für die nächsten sechs Brunnen , bis alle Vertiefungen verarbeitet wurden. </li></ol></li></ol> 3. Zweite Schicht von Fibringelstruktur und Sandwiched Collagen Stecker <ol><li> OptionA: (Mit Hilfe des Collagen-Plug sofort). <ol><li> Stellen Sie sicher, dass die erste Schicht aus Fibrin-Gel in allen Vertiefungen zart polymerisiert wurde von der Platte zu kippen. Legen Sie die 96-Well-Platte das Kollagen Gelpfropfen Seite an Seite mit der 24-Well-Platte (mit den Fibringelen), die Übertragung der Kollagen-Stecker zu erleichtern. </li><li> Geben Sie einen Tropfen HBSS in jede Vertiefung der Platte, die die Kollagen-Stecker enthalten. </li><li> Entfernen Sie jede Kollagen Stecker aus dem Bohrloch mit einer dünnen Nadel an einer Spritze befestigt (als Griff verwendet wird) oder mit einem Mikro-Löffel (siehe Video). Bringen Sie jede Kollagen-Stecker auf die erste Fibringelstruktur Schicht mit einem oder zwei Mikrolöffel, gleichzeitig aber dafür sorgen, dass das Kollagen Stecker gut in das Bohrloch zentriert ist und dass die Sterilität ist sehr gepflegt. </li><li> Überlagern, die zuvor gebildete Fibrin-Gel mit der zweiten Schicht von Fibrinogen-Lösung (300 ul / Vertiefung) und die Einführung des Thrombins wie in 2.3 beschrieben, wird ein minimal 1 zu halten. 0,0075 Verhältnis und eine Sequenz von sechs Vertiefungen in einer Zeit &lt;/ Li&gt; </ol></li><li> Option B (Beschichtung der Collagen-Stecker mit einer dünnen Schicht von Wachstumsfaktor-reduziert Basalmembran (GFRBM)). <ol><li> Kühle alle hergestellten Lösungen und Instrumente vorher und halten sie bei 4 ° C oder auf Eis (zB Pipetten, Spitzen, Reagenzgläser) während seit gefrorenen Aliquoten GFRBM Handhabung sind sehr empfindlich gegen zu hohe Erwärmungsrate während des Auftauens (folgen Sie den Anweisungen des Herstellers) . </li><li> Nach der Entfernung von den Plattenvertiefungen, tränken jedes Kollagen Stecker für 2 Minuten in einer 1,5-ml-Zentrifugenröhrchen auf Eis, die 100 &amp; mgr; l einer reinen GRFBM Lösung. </li><li> Übertragen jeder beschichteten Stecker auf die erste Fibrinschicht, während es gewährleistet ist gut zentriert ist, wie oben beschrieben. Inkubieren der Steck enthaltenden Platten bei 37 ° C für 5 min die GRFBM zu ermöglichen, ein Gel zu bilden. Fügen Sie die zweite Fibrinschicht, wie in Schritt 3.1.4. </li></ol></li></ol> 4. Zellkulturmedium Bedingungen <ol><li> Füllen Sie jede Vertiefung mit Kulturmedium (400 ul). Die Kulturmedien und Ergänzungen werden auf der Grundlage der Zelllinie und Versuchsbedingungen gewählt werden. </li><li> Hinzufügen Aprotinin, ein Antifibrinolytikum, um Kulturmedium in einer Endkonzentration von 100 Kallikrein-Inhibitor-Einheiten (KIE) / ml. HINWEIS: Bewahren Sie die Platten in einer Zellkultur-Inkubator unter den Bedingungen für die Zelllinie getestet verwendet. </li><li> Füllt Kulturen mit frischem Medium jeden zweiten Tag oder nach dem Versuchsplan, und fügen Sie Aprotinin. Vor Zugabe von frischem Medium, kippen leicht die Platte (bei 30-35 ° Winkel) und neigen die Pipette gegen die Seite des Bohrlochs während sorgfältig das konditionierte Medium unter ständiger Beobachtung Absaugen. </li></ol>

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The authors have no disclosure.

Als wichtige technische Fußnote ist es wesentlich, dass kein Spalt an der Grenzfläche zwischen dem zentralen vorhanden ist, und die peripheren Gelen. Andernfalls könnte es die Fähigkeit der Zellen zu reduzieren, um das Fibrin-Gel wandern / eindringen. Ein Raum zwischen dem Kollagen und Fibrin-Gelen kann während der ersten 24 Stunden der Kultur bilden, wenn Thrombin wurde nicht in geeigneter Weise verdünnt worden ist. Es ist auch möglich, dass die Zelllinie in Kultur getestet könnte das Kollagengel führen, zu ko...

Die grundlegenden und biomedizinischen Eigenschaften der Invasion von Krebszellen / Migration und anschließende Metastasierung Einrichtung zu untersuchen , ist Gegenstand einer intensiven Forschung 1,2. Metastasierung ist die letzte Stufe der Krebs und seine klinische Management bleibt schwer zu fassen. Ein besseres Verständnis der Metastasierung auf zellulärer und molekularer Ebene wird die Entwicklung effizienterer Therapien 3 ermöglichen. Mehrere Eigenschaften von metastatischen Zellen können in vitro 4 einschließlich ihrer stemness und potentielle einen Übergangszustand (beispielsweise epithelioid-mesenchymale Transition) zu migrieren und dringen in und aus dem Primärtumor 5 zu erwerben , untersucht werden. Allerdings hat die in - vitro - Beurteilung der Invasion / Metastasierung Prozesse eine Herausforderung , da sie praktisch den Beitrag des Blut / lymphatischen Kreislauf schließt. Organotypischen Kulturen, die Tumorfragmente in Collagengele einbetten haben früschlauen verwendet worden, um Krebs Aggressivität zu überwachen. Obwohl die Komplexität von Tumoren erhalten wird (beispielsweise das Vorhandensein von Nicht-Krebszellen) werden Tumorfragmente des begrenzten Diffusionsmedium ausgesetzt wird , um Stichprobenvariation und zu einem übermäßigen Wachstum von Stromazellen 6. Ein alternatives Verfahren besteht in Komponenten der extrazellulären Matrix (ECM) in Krebszellen wachsen, die die dreidimensionale (3D) Zellumgebung imitiert. Die Proliferation von Brustkrebszelllinien in einem Kollagen-Gel und / oder einer Basalmembran-Matrix abgeleitet ist unter den besten charakterisierten Beispiele von 3D-Zellkultur. Durch die Verwendung von bestimmten 3D - Zellkulturumgebungen, die desorganisierte Anordnung für Brustkrebszellen beobachtet unter Standardbedingungen gezüchtet kann 7-10 zur spontanen Bildung von Brust Acini und röhrenförmige Strukturen umgekehrt werden. Darüber hinaus sammelten die Bildung von vielzelligen Tumorsphäroide abgeleitet von einem Adenokarzinom Krebszellen mit verschiedenen Techniken (zB hängende Tropfen, schwimmend Sphäroiden, Agar Einbettungs) jetzt die am häufigsten verwendeten 3D - Zellkulturtest 11-13 darstellt. Jedoch ist dieser Test durch den eingeschränkten Satz von Krebszelllinien begrenzt, die Sphäroide und durch den kurzen Zeitraum zur Verfügung zu studieren Zellen unter diesen Bedingungen bilden kann. In dieser visualisierten Technik stellen wir hier ein anspruchsvolles 3D - Zellkulturassay , wo Krebszellen von Interesse in einem Kollagengel eingebettet sind , die in vitro Bildung eines pseudo-primären Tumors zu ermöglichen , die mit einer Basalmembran stammenden Matrix beschichtet werden alternativ kann. Einmal gebildet, wird die pseudo-primären Tumors dann in einer azellulären Matrix (Fibrin - Gel im vorliegenden Fall) sandwichartig angeordnet, die die Krebszellen ermöglicht die Schnittstelle zwischen den beiden Abteilen Matrix kreuzen (siehe Abbildung 1). Interessanterweise sekundäre tumorartige Strukturen aus dem Pseudo-Primärtumor erscheinen zusammen mit aggressiven Krebszellen mit Ursprung in derFibrin-Gel. Eine solche 3D - Kultursystem bietet die Flexibilität , beispielsweise zu untersuchen, erforderlich, Antikrebsmittel, die Genexpression und die Zell-Zell- und / oder Zell-ECM - Wechselwirkungen 14-16. <img alt="Abbildung 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/54322/54322fig1.jpg" /> Abbildung 1:.. Überblick über die Methode Schematische Zusammenfassung der Methode der 3D - Zellkultursystem als Modell für Krebsstudien zu generieren <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54322/54322fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Bitte hier klicken</a> , um <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54322/54322fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">eine größere Version dieser Figur zu sehen.</a>

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Freeze-dried collagen</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C7661</td>
			<td>from rat tail tendon (soluble dispersion) or home-made (see Rajan et al., ref.#14)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibrinogen (freeze-dried)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich&#160;</td>
			<td>F8630</td>
			<td>Type I-S, 65-85% protein with &#8805;75% of protein is clottable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thrombin</td>
			<td>EMD Chemicals Inc.</td>
			<td>605157</td>
			<td>&#160;Gibbstown, NJ; NIH units/mg dry weight&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Growth factor-reduced Matrigel&#160;</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>356234</td>
			<td>Previously from BD Biosciences</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aprotinin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A6279&#160;</td>
			<td>&#160;solution at 5-10TIU/ml (Trypsin Inhibitor Unit)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;Micro-spoons</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>2140115</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand Handi-Hold Microspatula</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96 well plate, round base</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>3925500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>24 well plate</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>3922</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s modified Eagle&#39;s Medium</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>D5546</td>
			<td>DMEM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>CAA15-701</td>
			<td>FBS, Canadian origin.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>T4049</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hank&#8217;s Balanced Salt Solution&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>H8264</td>
			<td>HBSS</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

three-dimensional culture assay to explore cancer cell invasiveness and satellite tumor formation

Säugerzellkultur in Monolayern wird weithin verwendet, um verschiedene physiologische und molekulare Prozesse zu untersuchen. dieser Ansatz jedoch zu wachsenden Zellen studieren erzeugt oft unerwünschte Artefakte. Daher Zellkultur in einem dreidimensionalen (3D) Umgebung, die oft extrazelluläre Matrixkomponenten verwenden, erwies sich als eine interessante Alternative wegen seiner Ähnlichkeit mit dem nativen in vivo Gewebe oder Organ. Wir entwickelten ein Kultursystem 3D - Zelle zwei Abteilen unter Verwendung, nämlich (i) eine zentrale Kammer Krebszellen enthält , in einem Kollagengel wirkenden eingebettet als pseudo-primäre macrospherical Tumors und (ii) einem peripheren zellfreien Kammer aus einem Fibrin - Gel, dh eine extrazelluläre Matrixkomponente , die sich von der in der Mitte verwendet werden, in denen Krebszellen (invasion vorne) wandern und / oder mikrosphärischen Tumoren bilden darstellt sekundäre oder Satelliten Tumoren. Die Bildung von Satelliten-Tumoren im peripheres Kompartiment istbemerkenswert korreliert mit der bekannten Aggressivität oder metastasiertem Ursprung der nativen Tumorzellen, die diese 3D-Kultursystem einzigartig macht. Dieser Zellkulturansatz könnte als Krebszelle Invasivität und Motilität, Zell-extrazellulären Matrix-Interaktionen und als ein Verfahren zur Beurteilung anti-Krebs-Medikament Eigenschaften zu bewerten.

Wie bereits erwähnt, ist ein interessantes Merkmal dieser 3D - Zellkulturassay , daß Krebszellen nicht nur aus dem Kollagenstopfen zum benachbarten Fibringel wandern kann, sondern auch sekundäre Tumoren (beispielsweise Satelliten - tumorartige Strukturen) herzustellen. Diese können direkt mit einem invertierten Phasenkontrastmikroskop bei niedrigen und hohen Vergrßerungen durch das Gel Dicke beobachtet, insbesondere mit einem großen Arbeitsabstand Kondensor (Abbild...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Three-Dimensional Culture Assay to Explore Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Satellite Tumor Formation at JoVE.com

Three-Dimensional Culture Assay to Explore Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Satellite Tumor Formation

Cancer cells are embedded in a collagen gel and then sandwiched in an acellular fibrin gel to generate a 3D culture system in which the invasiveness and formation of satellite tumors may be monitored.

Dreidimensionale Kulturtest auf Krebszelle Invasivität und Satelliten Tumorbildung erkunden

Mammalian cell culture in monolayers is widely used to study various physiological and molecular processes. However, this approach to study growing cells ...

three-dimensional-culture-assay-to-explore-cancer-cell-invasiveness

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

10.3K Aufrufe.  CHU de Québec Research Centre. Cancer cells are embedded in a collagen gel and then sandwiched in an acellular fibrin gel to generate a 3D culture system in which the invasiveness and formation of satellite tumors may be monitored.

Serie: Three-Dimensional Culture Assay to Explore Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Satellite Tumor Formation

Human Neuroendocrine Tumor Cell Lines as a Three-Dimensional Model for the Study of Human Neuroendocrine Tumor Therapy

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare tumors, with an incidence of two per 100,&#x200A;000 individuals per year, and they account for 0.5% of all human malignancies.1 Other than surgery for the minority of patients who present with localized disease, there is little or no survival benefit of systemic therapy. Therefore, there is a great need to better understand the biology of NETs, and in particular define new therapeutic targets for patients with nonresectable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. 3D cell culture is becoming a popular method for drug screening due to its relevance in modeling the in vivo tumor tissue organization and microenvironment.2,3 The 3D multicellular spheroids could provide valuable information in a more timely and less expensive manner than directly proceeding from 2D cell culture experiments to animal (murine) models.
To facilitate the discovery of new therapeutics for NET patients, we have developed an in vitro 3D multicellular spheroids model using the human NET cell lines. The NET cells are plated in a non-adhesive agarose-coated 24-well plate and incubated under physiological conditions (5% CO2, 37 &deg;C) with a very slow agitation for 16-24 hr after plating. The cells form multicellular spheroids starting on the 3rd or 4th day. The spheroids become more spherical by the 6th day, at which point the drug treatments are initiated. The efficacy of the drug treatments on the NET spheroids is monitored based on the morphology, shape and size of the spheroids with a phase-contrast light microscope. The size of the spheroids is estimated automatically using a custom-developed MATLAB program based on an active contour algorithm. Further, we demonstrate a simple method to process the HistoGel embedding on these 3D spheroids, allowing the use of standard histological and immunohistochemical techniques. 
This is the first report on generating 3D spheroids using NET cell lines to examine the effect of therapeutic drugs. We have also performed histology on these 3D spheroids, and displayed an example of a single drug's effect on growth and proliferation of the NET spheroids. Our results support that the NET spheroids are valuable for further studies of NET biology and drug development.

We present a simple agarose overlay platform to grow 3D multicellular spheroids using neuroendocrine cancer cell lines. This method provides a very convenient way to examine the effect of therapeutic drugs on the neuroendocrine tumor cells. It could also help us establish human neuroendocrine tumor spheroids for cancer therapy.

Menschliche neuroendokrinen Tumor-Zelllinien als dreidimensionales Modell für das Studium der menschlichen neuroendokrinen Tumor-Therapie

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare tumors, with an incidence of two per 100,&#x200A;000 individuals per year, and they account for 0.5% of all human ...

Forschung

Medizin

Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma

Despite improved treatments options for melanoma available today, patients with advanced malignant melanoma still have a poor prognosis for progression-free and overall survival. Therefore, translational research needs to provide further molecular evidence to improve targeted therapies for malignant melanomas. In the past, oncogenic mechanisms related to melanoma were extensively studied in established cell lines. On the way to more personalized treatment regimens based on individual genetic profiles, we propose to use patient-derived cell lines instead of generic cell lines. Together with high quality clinical data, especially on patient follow-up, these cells will be instrumental to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind melanoma progression.
Here, we report the establishment of primary melanoma cultures from dissected fresh tumor tissue. This procedure includes mincing and dissociation of the tissue into single cells, removal of contaminations with erythrocytes and fibroblasts as well as primary culture and reliable verification of the cells' melanoma origin.
Recent reports revealed that melanomas, like the majority of tumors, harbor a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which seem to exclusively fuel tumor initiation and progression towards the metastatic state. One of the key markers for CSC identification and isolation in melanoma is CD133. To isolate CD133+ CSCs from primary melanoma cultures, we have modified and optimized the Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting (MACS) procedure from Miltenyi resulting in high sorting purity and viability of CD133+ CSCs and CD133- bulk, which can be cultivated and functionally analyzed thereafter.

Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma

This article describes the preparation of freshly obtained melanoma tissue into primary cell cultures, and how to remove contaminations of erythrocytes and fibroblasts from the tumor cells. Finally, we describe how CD133+ putative melanoma stem cells are sorted from the CD133- bulk using Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS).

Patienten abgeleitet Zellkultur und Isolierung von CD133<sup&gt; +</sup&gt; Mutmaßliche Cancer Stem Cells von Melanoma

Despite improved treatments options for melanoma available today, patients with advanced malignant melanoma still have a poor prognosis for ...

The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers

Currently there is no curative treatment for metastatic clear cell renal cell cancer, the commonest variant of the disease. A key factor in this treatment resistance is thought to be the molecular complexity of the disease 1. Targeted therapy such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-sunitinib have been utilized, but only 40% of patients will respond, with the overwhelming majority of these patients relapsing within 1 year 2. As such the question of intrinsic and acquired resistance in renal cell cancer patients is highly relevant 3.
In order to study resistance to TKIs, with the ultimate goal of developing effective, personalized treatments, sequential tissue after a specific period of targeted therapy is required, an approach which had proved successful in chronic myeloid leukaemia 4. However the application of such a strategy in renal cell carcinoma is complicated by the high level of both inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity, which is a feature of renal cell carcinoma5,6 as well as other solid tumors 7. Intertumoral heterogeneity due to transcriptomic and genetic differences is well established even in patients with similar presentation, stage and grade of tumor. In addition it is clear that there is great morphological (intratumoral) heterogeneity in RCC, which is likely to represent even greater molecular heterogeneity. Detailed mapping and categorization of RCC tumors by combined morphological analysis and Fuhrman grading allows the selection of representative areas for proteomic analysis.
Protein based analysis of RCC8 is attractive due to its widespread availability in pathology laboratories; however, its application can be problematic due to the limited availability of specific antibodies 9. Due to the dot blot nature of the Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA), antibody specificity must be pre-validated; as such strict quality control of antibodies used is of paramount importance. Despite this limitation the dot blot format does allow assay miniaturization, allowing for the printing of hundreds of samples onto a single nitrocellulose slide. Printed slides can then be analyzed in a similar fashion to Western analysis with the use of target specific primary antibodies and fluorescently labelled secondary antibodies, allowing for multiplexing. Differential protein expression across all the samples on a slide can then be analyzed simultaneously by comparing the relative level of fluorescence in a more cost-effective and high-throughput manner.

The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays RPPA to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers

RPPA enables the protein expression of hundreds of samples, printed on nitrocellulose slides to be interrogated simultaneously, using fluorescently labelled antibodies. This technique has been applied to study the effect of drug treatment heterogeneity within clear cell renal carcinoma.

Der Einsatz von Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) an Protein Expression Variation innerhalb der einzelnen Renal Cell Cancers erkunden

Currently there is no curative treatment for metastatic clear cell renal cell cancer, the commonest variant of the disease. A key factor in this treatment ...

A Three-dimensional Tissue Culture Model to Study Primary Human Bone Marrow and its Malignancies

Tissue culture has been an invaluable tool to study many aspects of cell function, from normal development to disease. Conventional cell culture methods rely on the ability of cells either to attach to a solid substratum of a tissue culture dish or to grow in suspension in liquid medium. Multiple immortal cell lines have been created and grown using such approaches, however, these methods frequently fail when primary cells need to be grown ex vivo. Such failure has been attributed to the absence of the appropriate extracellular matrix components of the tissue microenvironment from the standard systems where tissue culture plastic is used as a surface for cell growth. Extracellular matrix is an integral component of the tissue microenvironment and its presence is crucial for the maintenance of physiological functions such as cell polarization, survival, and proliferation. Here we present a 3-dimensional tissue culture method where primary bone marrow cells are grown in extracellular matrix formulated to recapitulate the microenvironment of the human bone (rBM system). Embedded in the extracellular matrix, cells are supplied with nutrients through the medium supplemented with human plasma, thus providing a comprehensive system where cell survival and proliferation can be sustained for up to 30 days while maintaining the cellular composition of the primary tissue. Using the rBM system we have successfully grown primary bone marrow cells from normal donors and patients with amyloidosis, and various hematological malignancies. The rBM system allows for direct, in-matrix real time visualization of the cell behavior and evaluation of preclinical efficacy of novel therapeutics. Moreover, cells can be isolated from the rBM and subsequently used for in vivo transplantation, cell sorting, flow cytometry, and nucleic acid and protein analysis. Taken together, the rBM method provides a reliable system for the growth of primary bone marrow cells under physiological conditions.

In standard culture methods cells are taken out of their physiological environment and grown on the plastic surface of a dish. To study the behavior of primary human bone marrow cells we created a 3-D culture system where cells are grown under conditions recapitulating the native microenvironment of the tissue.

Eine dreidimensionale Zellkulturmodell zu primären humanen Knochenmark und seine Malignome Studieren

Tissue culture has been an invaluable tool to study many aspects of cell function, from normal development to disease. Conventional cell culture methods ...

A Mouse Tumor Model of Surgical Stress to Explore the Mechanisms of Postoperative Immunosuppression and Evaluate Novel Perioperative Immunotherapies

Surgical resection is an essential treatment for most cancer patients, but surgery induces dysfunction in the immune system and this has been linked to the development of metastatic disease in animal models and in cancer patients. Preclinical work from our group and others has demonstrated a profound suppression of innate immune function, specifically NK cells in the postoperative period and this plays a major role in the enhanced development of metastases following surgery. Relatively few animal studies and clinical trials have focused on characterizing and reversing the detrimental effects of cancer surgery. Using a rigorous animal model of spontaneously metastasizing tumors and surgical stress, the enhancement of cancer surgery on the development of lung metastases was demonstrated. In this model, 4T1 breast cancer cells are implanted in the mouse mammary fat pad. At day 14 post tumor implantation, a complete resection of the primary mammary tumor is performed in all animals. A subset of animals receives additional surgical stress in the form of an abdominal nephrectomy. At day 28, lung tumor nodules are quantified. When immunotherapy was given immediately preoperatively, a profound activation of immune cells which prevented the development of metastases following surgery was detected. While the 4T1 breast tumor surgery model allows for the simulation of the effects of abdominal surgical stress on tumor metastases, its applicability to other tumor types needs to be tested. The current challenge is to identify safe and promising immunotherapies in preclinical mouse models and to translate them into viable perioperative therapies to be given to cancer surgery patients to prevent the recurrence of metastatic disease.

A mouse tumor model of surgical stress is used to explore how postoperative immune suppression promotes metastatic disease and to evaluate immunostimulatory perioperative therapies.

Ein Maus-Tumormodell der operativen Belastung zu Entdecken Sie die Mechanismen der postoperative Immunsuppression und Bewerten Novel Perioperative Immuntherapien

Surgical resection is an essential treatment for most cancer patients, but surgery induces dysfunction in the immune system and this has been linked to ...

Three Dimensional Cultures: A Tool To Study Normal Acinar Architecture vs. Malignant Transformation Of Breast Cells

Invasive breast carcinomas are a group of malignant epithelial tumors characterized by the invasion of adjacent tissues and propensity to metastasize. The interplay of signals between cancer cells and their microenvironment exerts a powerful influence on breast cancer growth and biological behavior1. However, most of these signals from the extracellular matrix are lost or their relevance is understudied when cells are grown in two dimensional culture (2D) as a monolayer. In recent years, three dimensional (3D) culture on a reconstituted basement membrane has emerged as a method of choice to recapitulate the tissue architecture of benign and malignant breast cells. Cells grown in 3D retain the important cues from the extracellular matrix and provide a physiologically relevant ex&#160;vivo system2,3. Of note, there is growing evidence suggesting that cells behave differently when grown in 3D as compared to 2D4. 3D culture can be effectively used as a means to differentiate the malignant phenotype from the benign breast phenotype and for underpinning the cellular and molecular signaling involved3. One of the distinguishing characteristics of benign epithelial cells is that they are polarized so that the apical cytoplasm is towards the lumen and the basal cytoplasm rests on the basement membrane. This apico-basal polarity is lost in invasive breast carcinomas, which are characterized by cellular disorganization and formation of anastomosing and branching tubules that haphazardly infiltrates the surrounding stroma. These histopathological differences between benign gland and invasive carcinoma can be reproduced in 3D6,7. Using the appropriate read-outs like the quantitation of single round acinar structures, or differential expression of validated molecular markers for cell proliferation, polarity and apoptosis in combination with other molecular and cell biology techniques, 3D culture can provide an important tool to better understand the cellular changes during malignant transformation and for delineating the responsible signaling.

Three dimensional culture of mammary epithelial cells on a reconstituted basement membrane is a useful method to recapitulate the in vivo architecture of the benign breast, and to differentiate the malignant phenotype from the benign breast phenotype. Importantly, this system can be applied to study invasive carcinomas in other tissues.

Dreidimensional Kulturen: Ein Werkzeug, um Architektur zu studieren Normale acinar gegen maligne Transformation von Brustzellen

Invasive breast carcinomas are a group of malignant epithelial tumors characterized by the invasion of adjacent tissues and propensity to metastasize. The ...

Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model

It is now well known that the cellular and tissue microenvironment are critical regulators influencing tumor initiation and progression. Moreover, the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been demonstrated to be a critical regulator of cell behavior in culture and homeostasis in vivo. The current approach of culturing cells on two-dimensional (2D), plastic surfaces results in the disturbance and loss of complex interactions between cells and their microenvironment. Through the use of three-dimensional (3D) culture assays, the conditions for cell-microenvironment interaction are established resembling the in vivo microenvironment. This article provides a detailed methodology to grow breast cancer cells in a 3D basement membrane protein matrix, exemplifying the potential of 3D culture in the assessment of cell invasion into the surrounding environment. In addition, we discuss how these 3D assays have the potential to examine the loss of signaling molecules that regulate epithelial morphology by immunostaining procedures. These studies aid to identify important mechanistic details into the processes regulating invasion, required for the spread of breast cancer.

Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional 3D Model

This article provides detailed methodologies for the use of three-dimensional (3D) assays to quantify breast cancer cell invasion. Specifically, we discuss the procedures required to set up such assays, quantification, and data analysis, as well as methods to examine the loss of membrane integrity that occurs when cells invade.

Quantifizierung der Brustkrebs-Zelle Invasivität Mit einem Drei-dimensionale (3D) Modell

It is now well known that the cellular and tissue microenvironment are critical regulators influencing tumor initiation and progression. Moreover, the ...

Three-dimensional Co-culture Model for Tumor-stromal Interaction

Cancer progression (initiation, growth, invasion and metastasis) occurs through interactions between malignant cells and the surrounding tumor stromal cells. The tumor microenvironment is comprised of a variety of cell types, such as fibroblasts, immune cells, vascular endothelial cells, pericytes and bone-marrow-derived cells, embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have a pro-tumorigenic role through the secretion of soluble factors, angiogenesis and ECM remodeling. The experimental models for cancer cell survival, proliferation, migration, and invasion have mostly relied on two-dimensional monocellular and monolayer tissue cultures or Boyden chamber assays. However, these experiments do not precisely reflect the physiological or pathological conditions in a diseased organ. To gain a better understanding of tumor stromal or tumor matrix interactions, multicellular and three-dimensional cultures provide more powerful tools for investigating intercellular communication and ECM-dependent modulation of cancer cell behavior. As a platform for this type of study, we present an experimental model in which cancer cells are cultured on collagen gels embedded with primary cultures of CAFs.

Here we present a protocol to co-culture in three-dimensions, which is useful for investigating multicellular interactions and extracellular matrix-dependent modulation of cancer cell behavior. In this experimental model, cancer cells are cultured on collagen gels embedded with human cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Dreidimensionale Co-Kultur-Modell für Tumor-Stroma-Interaktion

Cancer progression (initiation, growth, invasion and metastasis) occurs through interactions between malignant cells and the surrounding tumor stromal ...

Mammosphere Formation Assay from Human Breast Cancer Tissues and Cell Lines

Similar to healthy tissues, many blood and solid malignancies are now thought to be organised hierarchically, with a subset of stem-like cancer cells that self-renew while giving rise to more differentiated progeny. Understanding and targeting these cancer stem cells in breast cancer, which may possess enhanced chemo- and radio-resistance compared to the non-stem tumor bulk, has become an important research area. Markers including CD44, CD24, and ALDH activity can be assessed using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to prospectively isolate cells that display enhanced tumorigenicity when implanted into immunocompromised mice: the mammosphere assay has also become widely used for its ability to retrospectively identify sphere-forming cells that develop from single stem cell-like clones. Here we outline approaches for the appropriate culturing of mammospheres from cell lines or primary patient samples, their passaging, and calculations to estimate sphere forming efficiency (SFE). First we discuss key considerations and pitfalls in the appropriate planning and interpretation of mammosphere experiments.

Floating mammosphere assays can investigate the subset of stem-like breast cancer cells that survive in suspension conditions and show enhanced tumorigenesis when implanted into mice. This protocol provides a convenient in vitro measure of sphere-forming ability, a proxy for in vivo tumorigenesis, while facilitating analysis of the stem-associated transcriptional landscape.

Mammosphere Formation Assay von Menschen Brustkrebs Geweben und Zelllinien

Similar to healthy tissues, many blood and solid malignancies are now thought to be organised hierarchically, with a subset of stem-like cancer cells that ...

Three-Dimensional (3D) Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Invasion of surrounding normal tissues is generally considered to be a key hallmark of malignant (as opposed to benign) tumors. For some cancers in particular (e.g., brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck &#8211; SCCHN) it is a cause of severe morbidity and can be life-threatening even in the absence of distant metastases. In addition, cancers which have relapsed following treatment unfortunately often present with a more aggressive phenotype. Therefore, there is an opportunity to target the process of invasion to provide novel therapies that could be complementary to standard anti-proliferative agents. Until now, this strategy has been hampered by the lack of robust, reproducible assays suitable for a detailed analysis of invasion and for drug screening. Here we provide a simple micro-plate method (based on uniform, self-assembling 3D tumor spheroids) which has great potential for such studies. We exemplify the assay platform using a human glioblastoma cell line and also an SCCHN model where the development of resistance against targeted epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors is associated with enhanced matrix-invasive potential. We also provide two alternative methods of semi-automated quantification: one using an imaging cytometer and a second which simply requires standard microscopy and image capture with digital image analysis.

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Invasion of surrounding normal tissues is a defining characteristic of malignant tumors. We provide here a simple, semi-automated micro-plate assay of invasion into a natural 3D biomatrix that has been exemplified with a number of models of advanced human cancers.

Dreidimensionale (3D) Tumor Spheroid Invasionsassay

Invasion of surrounding normal tissues is generally considered to be a key hallmark of malignant (as opposed to benign) tumors. For some cancers in ...