We thank Marleen De Meulemeester for demonstrating the assay technique in the video film. B. I. R. is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Research Foundation &#8211; Flanders (FWO &#8211; Vlaanderen). L.M.M. is a recipient of an Emmanuel van der Schueren grant from the Flemish League against Cancer (Vlaamse Liga tegen Kanker).

<ol>
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The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Durante la preparazione di PHFS, i frammenti potrebbero non rimanere in sospensione, ma aderire alla parete del vaso; questo può essere superato aumentando il volume del mezzo di coltura. Se il numero di PHFS è troppo bassa e la loro dimensione è troppo grande, diminuire il volume del terreno di coltura. Fallimento delle celle di prova per aggregare può essere dovuto a fluttuazioni nella temperatura e conseguente infezione microbica. In alternativa, l&#39;incapacità di aggregare può essere una caratteristica intrinseca delle cellule. Durante fissaggio degli aggregati a PHF, scarsa adesione può essere superato estendendo il periodo di incubazione in cima al terreno semisolido agar o rimuovendo più fluido terreno di coltura intorno alle colture mediante assorbimento carta da filtro. Controllare anche per la contaminazione microbica in questo caso. Difficoltà durante sezionamento possono essere dovuti alla disgregazione dei blocchi di paraffina: ciò avviene quando il periodo dei blocchi di memorizzazione è stata troppo lunga (fondere nuovamente la paraffina). Quando sezionamento arteverificano ifacts, l&#39;integrità della lama microtomo e assenza di corpo aliena nelle colture fisse dovrebbero essere controllati. Aree necrotiche nelle culture sono segni di condizioni di coltura povere. Se queste aree sono limitate al centro delle culture, si dovrebbe sospettare il volume delle scontri troppo grandi. Accurata scelta dei volumi dei PHF e cellulari aggregati è infatti un fattore critico. Tuttavia, più generalizzata punti necrosi verso inadeguato controllo del pH, la contaminazione microbica o artefatti di fissaggio. Infine, quando le sezioni risultano troppo scuri, il periodo di immersione in ematossilina può essere troppo lungo, o sezioni potrebbe essere troppo spessa (&gt; 8 micron). Molte variazioni sul dosaggio cuore pulcino sono stati applicati con successo negli studi di invasione. Queste variazioni riguardano l&#39;origine del tessuto ospite, la presentazione delle celle di prova confrontano, e le condizioni di incubazione. Frammenti di cuore da speciediverso pulcino 18, e da tessuti come fegato 19, polmone 20 e cervello 21, sono stati esaminati. Invece di aggregati, biopsia campioni 22 frammenti monostrato 23, e sospensioni cellulari sono stati utilizzati per confrontarsi con PHF nella cultura d&#39;organo. Colture in sospensione sono talvolta sostituiti da culture statiche su di un substrato 24 semisolido e scontri privi di siero hanno dimostrato di essere fattibile con alcuni tipi di cellule 25. Generalmente, l&#39;interazione è descritta secondo una scala quantitativa semi 26 Tuttavia, sistemi di analisi automatica delle immagini computerizzate sono stati sviluppati anche 27,28. Quest&#39;ultimo obiettivo di fornire informazioni quantitative sul grado di invasione delle cellule tumorali. Come il saggio cuore pulcino comprende un tessuto ospite vivente, il programma di installazione tenta di ricapitolare la situazione in vivo, e chiaramente è di una certa rilevanza a fronte di osistemi ther in vitro (vedi sezione introduttiva). Va tuttavia riconosciuto che il saggio non riesce a comprendere tutti gli elementi del microecosistema presente nei tumori naturali, ambienti dove per esempio fattori immunologici possono influenzare il comportamento invasivo delle cellule tumorali. In almeno uno studio, l&#39;assenza di tali fattori nel saggio ha portato a risultati contraddittori tra i risultati del test cuore pulcino 29 e quelle di un modello animale 30. Un&#39;applicazione futuro sarà lo studio delle cellule progenitrici dei cardiomiociti nel test. Queste cellule possono essere iniettate terapeuticamente in zone infarto di pazienti cardiopatici, ma dovrebbero essere in grado di integrare nel miocardio. Nel saggio cuore pulcino le cellule progenitrici si confronteranno con frammenti di cuore pulcino, e la loro migrazione e differenziamento saranno analizzati.

Invasion è il segno distintivo di tumori maligni. Questa attività porta non solo alla distruzione dei tessuti circostanti, ma è anche implicato nella formazione di metastasi. Dal momento che i malati di cancro muoiono per invasione e metastasi, e trattamenti anti-invasivi efficienti sono ancora scarse, analisi di laboratorio che simulano l&#39;invasione delle cellule tumorali sono stati sviluppati. L&#39;obiettivo del saggio cuore pulcino è quello di offrire un metodo di coltura degli organi competenti di studiare invasione tumorale in tre dimensioni. Il dosaggio può distinguere tra cellule invasive e non invasive, e permette di studiare gli effetti dei composti di prova su invasione tumorale. La logica dietro l&#39;uso del test è il concetto stesso che i tumori sono ecosistemi in cui le cellule neoplastiche interagiscono continuamente con il loro stroma (cellule dell&#39;ospite e matrice extracellulare), e che attraverso queste interazioni molecolari invasione è messo a punto 1. Così, nel dosaggio cellule tumorali si confrontano con living frammenti cardiaci pulcino embrionali 2, che servono non solo come substrati per l&#39;invasione da parte delle cellule tumorali, ma anche come fonte di diversi tipi di cellule stromali e elementi di matrice. Il cuore pulcino contiene miociti, fibroblasti e cellule endoteliali, e la matrice extracellulare è composto di laminina, fibronectina e diversi tipi di collagene. In questo modo, il tridimensionale tecnica di coltura organo copre molte interazioni cellulari e molecolari implicati nell&#39;invasione di tumori paziente. Il vantaggio principale del saggio cuore pulcino è l&#39;implementazione di effetti stromali. Questo aspetto è più completa rispetto ad altri test di invasione in vitro che si basano su l&#39;invasione delle cellule tumorali in gel non viventi composte da membrana basale 3 o matrice interstiziale 4 molecole. Il concetto di confronto tra le cellule tumorali e normali tessuti ostia vivente come si trova nella cultura organo sperimentazione è stata introdotta da variautori tra Wolff e Schneider in Francia 5, Easty e Easty nel Regno Unito 6, e Schleich in Germania 7. Due vantaggi tecnici del cuore pulcino invasione dosaggio rispetto ai metodi citati è che il volume dei frammenti può facilmente essere standardizzate, e che rimangano contrattile, che consente il monitoraggio integrità funzionale durante la coltura d&#39;organo. Inoltre, gli embrioni aviaria sono preferiti, perché possono facilmente essere sezionati dal contenuto sterile dell&#39;uovo. Il test ha somiglianza concettuale al pulcino chorioallantois membrane assay 8 offrendo un stromale complesso circostante per le cellule tumorali. Il dosaggio è stato applicato con successo per distinguere tra le varianti cellule invasive e non invasive dagli stessi tumori umani come nel MCF-7 (mammaria) 9 e HCT-8 (colon) 10 famiglie di linee cellulari. La tecnica è utile per testare composti potenzialmente anti-invasive e <sup&gt; 11,12. Come ulteriormente illustrato, può essere usato per la creazione di relazioni struttura-attività di piccole molecole organiche. Il saggio, tuttavia, non tiene conto del contributo delle cellule immunologiche all&#39;invasione cancro. Va sottolineato che la tecnica non può essere considerato come un sistema di analisi ad alta produttività, a causa del numero elevato di manipolazioni, del numero limitato di piste del saggio (massimo 30 culture) e il lungo tempo di ritorno (circa 1 mese).

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Ringer&#39;s salt solution</td>
			<td>Braun</td>
			<td>CEO123</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bacto-agar</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>214010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethaan Analar</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>103157P</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA : albumin from bovine serum, cohn V fract.</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A4503-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MEM-Rega 3</td>
			<td>Life Technologies&#160;</td>
			<td>19993013</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gyrotory shakers</td>
			<td>New Brunswick Scientific</td>
			<td>G10 and G33</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Erlenmeyer flasks 50 ml</td>
			<td>Novolab</td>
			<td>92717</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass Petri dishes</td>
			<td>Novolab</td>
			<td>68516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Iridectomy scissors</td>
			<td>Rumex</td>
			<td>11-0625</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Macroscope with calibrated ocular grid</td>
			<td>Wild</td>
			<td>157702</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraffin wax</td>
			<td>International Medical products</td>
			<td>8599956</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eosin Y</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>230251-25g</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Harris&#39; hematoxylin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>HHS32-1L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coverslipping resin (Tissue-Tek)</td>
			<td>Sakura</td>
			<td>4494</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraffin melting apparatus</td>
			<td>GFL</td>
			<td>1052</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microtome for paraffin sectioning</td>
			<td>Reichert</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stppers for Erlemeyer flasks with gas in- and outlets</td>
			<td>Novolab</td>
			<td>2602421 and 260243</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Diaminobenzidine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D8001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>REAX rocking table</td>
			<td>Heidolph</td>
			<td>54131</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>24-well tissue dishes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>NUNC142475</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ophtalmological enucleation spoon</td>
			<td>Rumex</td>
			<td>16-060</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sharp forceps</td>
			<td>Rumex</td>
			<td>4-111T</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blunt forceps</td>
			<td>Nickel-Electro LTD</td>
			<td>7112</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Erlenmeyer flasks 5 ml</td>
			<td>Novolab</td>
			<td>211901</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope slides washed and degreased</td>
			<td>International Medical products</td>
			<td>8613908</td>
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chick heart invasion assay for testing the invasiveness of cancer cells and the activity of potentially anti-invasive compounds

L&#39;obiettivo del saggio cuore pulcino è quello di offrire un metodo di coltura degli organi competenti di studiare invasione tumorale in tre dimensioni. Il dosaggio può distinguere tra cellule invasive e non invasive, e consente lo studio degli effetti dei composti di prova su invasione tumorale. Le cellule tumorali - sia come aggregati o singole cellule - si confrontano con frammenti di cuore pulcino embrionale. Dopo cultura organistica in sospensione per un paio di giorni o settimane le culture confrontano sono fissi e inclusi in paraffina per l&#39;analisi istologica. L&#39;interazione tridimensionale tra le cellule tumorali e il tessuto normale viene poi ricostruita da sezioni seriali colorate con ematossilina-eosina o dopo colorazione immunoistochimica per epitopi nel tessuto del cuore o le cellule tumorali confrontano. Il saggio è coerente con il concetto recente che l&#39;invasione cancro è il risultato di interazioni molecolari tra le cellule tumorali e le loro elementi host vicina stromali (miofibroblasti, endothcellule Elial, componenti della matrice extracellulare, etc.). Qui, questo ambiente stromale è offerto alle cellule tumorali, come un frammento di tessuto vivente. Aspetti di supporto per la rilevanza del saggio sono molteplici. Invasione nel saggio è in conformità con i criteri di invasione cancro: occupazione progressiva e sostituzione nel tempo e nello spazio del tessuto ospite, e l&#39;invasività e la non-invasività in vivo delle cellule confrontano generalmente correla con l&#39;esito del test. Inoltre, il modello di invasione delle cellule in vivo, come definito da patologi, si riflette nelle immagini istologiche nel test. Quantitative relazione struttura-attività (QSAR) analisi dei risultati ottenuti con numerosi composti organici congeneri potenzialmente anti-invasivi consentito lo studio delle relazioni struttura-attività di flavonoidi e calconi e noti farmaci antimetastatici utilizzati in clinica (ad esempio, inibitori microtubuli ) inibiscono l&#39;invasione nel test pure. However, il test non tiene conto dei contributi immunologici per l&#39;invasione del cancro.

Le sezioni istologiche come illustrato nella figura 5 mostra il risultato finale di una serie di saggi di successo. L&#39;istologia suono delle culture indica cellule vitali e permette di interpretare l&#39;interazione tra cellule tumorali e tessuto normale. Inoltre, nessuna reazione immune dal tessuto normale può osservare, che conferma la corretta età degli embrioni di pollo utilizzati ad esempio, prima che il sistema immunitario di rigetto è sviluppato. Non ci sono batteri visibili, il che indica l&#39;assenza di contaminazione (lordo) durante il periodo di coltura. Infine la periferia arrotondate delle sezioni conferma coltura in sospensione senza segni di (temporanea) aderenza alla parete beuta. Molti composti sono stati analizzati con il test. I farmaci sono generalmente forniti al mezzo di coltura nel momento in cui le confrontano PHF / tumorali coppie aggregati vengono trasferiti alle piccole beute (passo 2.7). Alcuni sono stati utilizzati come strumenti (noto ininibitori ed attivatori) per svelare percorsi e molecole effettrici implicati nel processo di invasione tumorale. Per altri composti che sono stati strutturalmente simili, una relazione quantitativa struttura-attività (QSAR) è stato istituito sulla base dei risultati del test pulcino cuore di invasione. Così, per polyphenolics correlati sono stati utilizzati un numero di descrittori computazionali per consentire la predizione della loro attività anti-invasiva nel saggio. In un periodo di 15 anni 139 diversi analoghi sono stati testati per i loro possibili effetti anti-invasivi nel test, e le loro attività sono stati raggruppati in 4 classi. Una formazione e un set di validazione composto da 93 e 46 di questi polifenoli rispettivamente sono stati selezionati in modo casuale. Per mezzo di una rete neurale artificiale QSAR i risultati del set di validazione hanno mostrato una chiara correlazione tra le attività anti-invasivi previsti e sperimentali 17 (vedi Figura 6). I dati mostrano la robustezza di the pulcino saggio di invasione cuore, dal momento che la correlazione tra risultati previsti e sperimentali era valido in 15 anni, e confermato in un recente (non pubblicato) studio previsione con differenti polifenoli. La matrice di confusione illustrato nella figura 6 riassume la debolezza e la forza del dosaggio graficamente: dà un&#39;espressione approssimativa della precisione e la riproducibilità. L&#39;interpretazione di questo grafico dovrebbe tener conto della variabilità biologica di vivere colture d&#39;organo, e il punteggio quantitativa semi dei risultati invasione. <img alt="Figura 6" src="/files/ftp_upload/52792/52792fig6.jpg" /> Figura 6. La validazione esterna di un modello QSAR predittivo (rete neurale artificiale) per l&#39;attività di piccole molecole nel test pulcino cuore invasione. L&#39;uscita di questo modello è la classe di attività anti-invasiva di un composto. Quattro tali classi sono state definite, ripresenting la concentrazione più bassa alla quale una molecola esercita attività anti-invasiva (cioè grado invasione I o II) nel saggio CHI: classe 4 (attivo fino a 1 micron), classe 3 (10 micron), classe 2 (100 micron) e la classe 1 (nessuna attività anti-invasiva a concentrazioni fino a 100 mM). La matrice di confusione raffigurato paragona previsto e determinato sperimentalmente classi di attività anti-invasivi per i composti del set di validazione. Il set di validazione contiene 46 composti, la formazione impostata 93. predizioni del modello si basano esclusivamente su descrittori calcolati dalla struttura molecolare, e può quindi essere ottenuto per i composti ipotetiche. In questo modo, gli sforzi di sintesi può essere focalizzata su molecole promettenti nell&#39;attività silico. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/52792/52792fig6large.jpg" target="_blank">Clicca qui per vedere una versione più grande di questa figura.</a>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Chick Heart Invasion Assay for Testing the Invasiveness of Cancer Cells and the Activity of Potentially Anti-invasive Compounds at JoVE.com

Chick Heart Invasion Assay for Testing the Invasiveness of Cancer Cells and the Activity of Potentially Anti-invasive Compounds

Qui, vi presentiamo un protocollo per studiare l&#39;invasione delle cellule tumorali in viventi frammenti di tessuto normale in tre dimensioni. Questa tecnica cultura organo è applicata principalmente per testare farmaci potenzialmente anti-invasive in vitro.

Invasione Chick Cuore Saggio per il test l&#39;invasività delle cellule tumorali e l&#39;attività di composti potenzialmente anti-invasive

The goal of the chick heart assay is to offer a relevant organ culture method to study tumor invasion in three dimensions. The assay can distinguish ...

chick-heart-invasion-assay-for-testing-invasiveness-cancer-cells

Universidad San Sebastian

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

9.0K Views.  University of Ghent.  Qui, vi presentiamo un protocollo per studiare l'invasione delle cellule tumorali in viventi frammenti di tessuto normale in tre dimensioni. Questa tecnica cultura organo è applicata principalmente per testare farmaci potenzialmente anti-invasive in vitro. 

Video: Chick Heart Invasion Assay for Testing the Invasiveness of Cancer Cells and the Activity of Potentially Anti-invasive Compounds

Modeling and Imaging 3-Dimensional Collective Cell Invasion

A defining characteristic of cancer malignancy is invasion and metastasis 1. In some cancers (e.g. glioma 2), local invasion into surrounding healthy tissue is the root cause of disease and death. For other cancers (e.g. breast, lung, etc.), it is the process of metastasis, in which tumor cells move from a primary tumor mass, colonize distal sites and ultimately contribute to organ failure, that eventually leads to morbidity and mortality 3. It has been estimated that invasion and metastasis are responsible for 90&#37; of cancer deaths 4. As a result, there has been intense interest in identifying the molecular processes and critical protein mediators of invasion and metastasis for the purposes of improving diagnosis and treatment 5.
A challenge for cancer scientists is to develop invasion assays that sufficiently resemble the in vivo situation to enable accurate disease modeling 6. Two-dimensional cell motility assays are only informative about one aspect of invasion and do not take into account extracellular matrix (ECM) protein remodeling which is also a critical element. Recently, research has refined our understanding of tumor cell invasion and revealed that individual cells may move by elongated or rounded modes 7. In addition, there has been greater appreciation of the contribution of collective invasion, in which cells invade in strands, sheets and clusters, particularly in highly differentiated tumors that maintain epithelial characteristics, to the spread of cancer 8.
We present a refined method 9 for examining the contributions of candidate proteins to collective invasion 10. In particular, by engineering separate pools of cells to express different fluorescent proteins, it is possible to molecularly dissect the activities and proteins required in leading cells versus those required in following cells. The use of RNAi provides the molecular tool to experimentally disassemble the processes involved in individual cell invasion as well as in different positions of collective invasion. In this procedure, mixtures of fluorescently-labeled cells are plated on the bottom of a Transwell insert previously filled with Matrigel ECM protein, then allowed to invade "upwards" through the filter and into the Matrigel. Reconstruction of z-series image stacks, obtained by confocal imaging, into three-dimensional representations allows for visualization of collectively invading strands and analysis of the representation of fluorescently-labeled cells in leading versus following positions.

Models of tumor cell invasion into three-dimensional extracellular matrix better reflect the in vivo situation than two-dimensional motility assays. Using matrix invasion assays combined with confocal imaging of fluorescently-labeled cells, detailed information on invasion modes and the distinct contributions of leading versus following cells can be obtained.

Modellazione e imaging 3-Dimensional Invasion cella Collettiva

A defining characteristic of cancer malignancy is invasion and metastasis 1. In some cancers (e.g. glioma 2), local invasion into surrounding healthy ...

Ricerca

Medicina

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) therapy is sometimes used as a treatment for various common skin conditions, including psoriasis, acne, and eczema. The dosage of UV light is prescribed according to an individual's skin sensitivity. Thus, to establish the proper dosage of UV light to administer to a patient, the patient is sometimes screened to determine a minimal erythema dose (MED), which is the amount of UV radiation that will produce minimal erythema (sunburn or redness caused by engorgement of capillaries) of an individual's skin within a few hours following exposure. This article describes how to conduct minimal erythema dose (MED) testing. There is currently no easy way to determine an appropriate UV dose for clinical or research purposes without conducting formal MED testing, requiring observation hours after testing, or informal trial and error testing with the risks of under- or over-dosing. However, some alternative methods are discussed.

Minimal Erythema Dose MED Testing

This article describes how to conduct minimal erythema dose (MED) testing in order to determine the lowest dose of ultraviolet radiation that will cause erythema (burning) when administered to an individual.

Minimal Eritema Dose (MED) Testing

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) therapy is  sometimes used as a treatment for various common skin conditions, including  psoriasis, acne, and eczema. The ...

Osmotic Drug Delivery to Ischemic Hindlimbs and Perfusion of Vasculature with Microfil for Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging

Preclinical research in animal models of peripheral arterial disease plays a vital role in testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents designed to stimulate microcirculation. The choice of delivery method for these agents is important because the route of administration profoundly affects the bioactivity and efficacy of these agents1,2. In this article, we demonstrate how to locally administer a substance in ischemic hindlimbs by using a catheterized osmotic pump. This pump can deliver a fixed volume of aqueous solution continuously for an allotted period of time. We also present our mouse model of unilateral hindlimb ischemia induced by ligation of the common femoral artery proximal to the origin of profunda femoris and epigastrica arteries in the left hindlimb. Lastly, we describe the in vivo cannulation and ligation of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and perfusion of the hindlimb vasculature with Microfil, a silicone radiopaque casting agent. Microfil can perfuse and fill the entire vascular bed (arterial and venous), and because we have ligated the major vascular conduit for exit, the agent can be retained in the vasculature for future ex vivo imaging with the use of small specimen micro-CT3.

We show here the in vivo insertion of an osmotic pump for constant local drug delivery and the creation of hindlimb ischemia in a mouse model. Moreover, the hindlimb vasculature is perfused with Microfil, a silicone radiopaque agent, to prepare for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging.

Osmotica Drug Delivery per arti posteriori ischemico e la perfusione dei vasi con Microfil per Micro-Tomografia Computerizzata Imaging

Preclinical research in animal models of peripheral arterial disease plays a vital role in testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents designed to ...

A Modified In vitro Invasion Assay to Determine the Potential Role of Hormones, Cytokines and/or Growth Factors in Mediating Cancer Cell Invasion

Blood serum serves as a chemoattractant towards which cancer cells migrate and invade, facilitating their intravasation into microvessels. However, the actual molecules towards which the cells migrate remain elusive. This modified invasion assay has been developed to identify targets which drive cell migration and invasion. This technique compares the invasion index under three conditions to determine whether a specific hormone, growth factor, or cytokine plays a role in mediating the invasive potential of a cancer cell. These conditions include i) normal fetal bovine serum (FBS), ii) charcoal-stripped FBS (CS-FBS), which removes hormones, growth factors, and cytokines and iii) CS-FBS + molecule (denoted &#8220;X&#8221;). A significant change in cell invasion with CS-FBS as compared to FBS, indicates the involvement of hormones, cytokines or growth factors in mediating the change. Individual molecules can then be added back to CS-FBS to assay their ability to reverse or rescue the invasion phenotype. Furthermore, two or more factors can be combined to evaluate the additive or synergistic effects of multiple molecules in driving or inhibiting invasion. Overall, this method enables the investigator to determine whether hormones, cytokines, and/or growth factors play a role in cell invasion by serving as chemoattractants or inhibitors of invasion for a particular type of cancer cell or a specific mutant. By identifying specific chemoattractants and inhibitors, this modified invasion assay may help to elucidate signaling pathways that direct cancer cell invasion.

A Modified In vitro Invasion Assay to Determine the Potential Role of Hormones, Cytokines and/or Growth Factors in Mediating Cancer Cell Invasion

This video article describes a modified in vitro method to examine the role of hormones, cytokines and/or growth factors in driving cancer cell invasion.

A Modified<em&gt; In vitro</em&gt; Invasion test per determinare il ruolo potenziale di ormoni, citochine e / o fattori di crescita nella mediazione Cancer Invasion cellulare

Blood serum serves as a chemoattractant towards which cancer cells migrate and invade, facilitating their intravasation into microvessels. However, the ...

Assessment of Ovarian Cancer Spheroid Attachment and Invasion of Mesothelial Cells in Real Time

Ovarian cancers metastasize by shedding into the peritoneal fluid and dispersing to distal sites within the peritoneum. Monolayer cultures do not accurately model the behaviors of cancer cells within a nonadherent environment, as cancer cells inherently aggregate into multicellular structures which contribute to the metastatic process by attaching to and invading the peritoneal lining to form secondary tumors. To model this important stage of ovarian cancer metastasis, multicellular aggregates, or spheroids, can be generated from established ovarian cancer cell lines maintained under nonadherent conditions. To mimic the peritoneal microenvironment encountered by tumor cells in vivo, a spheroid-mesothelial co-culture model was established in which preformed spheroids are plated on top of a human mesothelial cell monolayer, formed over an extracellular matrix barrier. Methods were then developed using a real-time cell analyzer to conduct quantitative real time measurements of the invasive capacity of different ovarian cancer cell lines grown as spheroids. This approach allows for the continuous measurement of invasion over long periods of time, which has several advantages over traditional endpoint assays and more laborious real time microscopy image analyses. In short, this method enables a rapid, determination of factors which regulate the interactions between ovarian cancer spheroid cells invading through mesothelial and matrix barriers over time.

Ovarian cancer cell invasion into the mesothelial lining of the peritoneum is a dynamic process over time. Utilizing a real time analyzer, the invasive capacity of ovarian cancer cells in a spheroid-mesothelial cell co-culture model can be quantified over prolonged time periods, providing insights into factors regulating the metastatic process.

Valutazione del cancro ovarico Spheroid attaccamento e l&#39;invasione delle cellule mesoteliali in tempo reale

Ovarian cancers metastasize by shedding into the peritoneal fluid and dispersing to distal sites within the peritoneum. Monolayer cultures do not ...

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.

Tridimensionale (3D) Tumore 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 ...

Utilization of the Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay to Identify Inhibitors of Tumorigenicity in Breast Cancer Cells

Given the inherent difficulties in investigating the mechanisms of tumor progression in vivo, cell-based assays such as the soft agar colony formation assay (hereafter called soft agar assay), which measures the ability of cells to proliferate in semi-solid matrices, remain a hallmark of cancer research. A key advantage of this technique over conventional 2D monolayer or 3D spheroid cell culture assays is the close mimicry of the 3D cellular environment to that seen in vivo. Importantly, the soft agar assay also provides an ideal tool to rigorously test the effects of novel compounds or treatment conditions on cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, this assay enables the quantitative assessment of cell transformation potential within the context of genetic perturbations. We recently identified peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PADI2) as a potential breast cancer biomarker and therapeutic target. Here we highlight the utility of the soft agar assay for preclinical anti-cancer studies by testing the effects of the PADI inhibitor, BB-Cl-amidine (BB-CLA), on the tumorigenicity of human ductal carcinoma in situ (MCF10DCIS) cells.

Here, we document the use of the soft agar colony formation assay to test the effects of a peptidylarginine deiminase (PADI) enzyme inhibitor, BB-Cl-amidine, on breast cancer tumorigenicity in vitro.

Utilizzo del saggio soft Agar Colony Formazione per identificare inibitori di tumorigenicità in cellule di carcinoma mammario

Given the inherent difficulties in investigating the mechanisms of tumor progression in vivo, cell-based assays such as the soft agar colony formation ...

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contains a subset of exclusively tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs) which have been shown to drive tumor initiation, metastasis and resistance to radio- and chemotherapy. Here we describe a specific methodology for culturing primary human pancreatic CSCs as tumor spheres in anchorage-independent conditions. Cells are grown in serum-free, non-adherent conditions in order to enrich for CSCs while their more differentiated progenies do not survive and proliferate during the initial phase following seeding of single cells. This assay can be used to estimate the percentage of CSCs present in a population of tumor cells. Both size (which can range from 35 to 250 micrometers) and number of tumor spheres formed represents CSC activity harbored in either bulk populations of cultured cancer cells or freshly harvested and digested tumors 1,2. Using this assay, we recently found that metformin selectively ablates pancreatic CSCs; a finding that was subsequently further corroborated by demonstrating diminished expression of pluripotency-associated genes/surface markers and reduced in vivo tumorigenicity of metformin-treated cells. As the final step for preclinical development we treated mice bearing established tumors with metformin and found significantly prolonged survival. Clinical studies testing the use of metformin in patients with PDAC are currently underway (e.g., NCT01210911, NCT01167738, and NCT01488552). Mechanistically, we found that metformin induces a fatal energy crisis in CSCs by enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and reducing mitochondrial transmembrane potential. In contrast, non-CSCs were not eliminated by metformin treatment, but rather underwent reversible cell cycle arrest. Therefore, our study serves as a successful example for the potential of in vitro sphere formation as a screening tool to identify compounds that potentially target CSCs, but this technique will require further in vitro and in vivo validation to eliminate false discoveries.

Pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) can be expanded in vitro using the anchorage-independent sphere culture technique, which represents a powerful tool to study CSC biology and can serve as the first step to develop novel CSC-targeting therapies. Here the methodology for expanding, analyzing and targeting of pancreatic CSCs is provided.

Studiare cancro del pancreas staminali caratteristiche cellulari per lo sviluppo di nuove strategie di trattamento

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contains a subset of exclusively tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs) which have been shown to drive tumor ...

Isolation and Propagation of Circulating Tumor Cells from a Mouse Cancer Model

Cancer metastasis is the foremost cause of cancer-associated deaths. Recent studies have shown that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important in cancer metastasis. Indeed, the number of CTCs correlates with tumor size. Here, a detailed description is provided of a methodology for isolation and propagation of CTCs from a syngeneic mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which allows for downstream analysis of potentially important molecular mechanisms of solid organ tumor metastasis. This method is efficient and reproducible. It is a non-invasive technique and, therefore, has potential to replace the invasive biopsy of tissues from humans which may be associated with complications. Therefore, the method discussed here allows for the isolation and propagation of CTCs from whole blood samples such that they can be examined and characterized. This has potential for future adaptation for clinical applications such as diagnosis, and personalized targeted therapy.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to play an important role in tumor metastasis. Here, a method for the isolation and propagation of CTCs from the whole blood of a syngeneic mouse tumor model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis is described.

Isolamento e propagazione di cellule tumorali circolanti da un mouse cancro modello

Cancer metastasis is the foremost cause of cancer-associated deaths. Recent studies have shown that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important in cancer ...

Cutaneous Surgical Denervation:  A Method for Testing the Requirement for Nerves in Mouse Models of Skin Disease

Cutaneous somatosensory nerves function to detect diverse stimuli that act upon the skin. In addition to their established sensory roles, recent studies have suggested that nerves may also modulate skin disorders including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and cancer. Here, we describe protocols for testing the requirement for nerves in maintaining a cutaneous mechanosensory organ, the touch dome (TD). Specifically, we discuss methods for genetically labeling, harvesting and visualizing TDs by whole-mount staining, and for performing unilateral surgical denervation on mouse dorsal back skin. Together, these approaches can be used to directly compare TD morphology and gene expression in denervated as well as sham-operated skin from the same animal. These methods can also be readily adapted to examine the requirement for nerves in mouse models of skin pathology. Finally, the ability to repeatedly sample the skin provides an opportunity to monitor disease progression at different stages and times after initiation.

This article includes detailed protocols for genetic labeling of mouse skin, surgical denervation, skin biopsy and visualizing labeled epithelia by whole-mount &#946;-galactosidase staining. These methods can be used to test the requirement for nerves in mouse models of normal and pathological skin.

Cutanea denervazione chirurgica: Un metodo per il test il requisito per i nervi in ​​modelli murini di malattia della pelle

Cutaneous somatosensory nerves function to detect diverse stimuli that act upon the skin. In addition to their established sensory roles, recent studies ...