We acknowledge the imaging and Anipath recherche histology platforms (CRCL, CLB). We are indebted to the pharmacy of the Centre L&#233;on B&#233;rard (CLB) Hospital for the kind gift of FOLFOX and FOLFIRI. We also thank Brigitte Manship for critical reading of the manuscript. The work was supported by the FRM (Equipes FRM 2018, DEQ20181039598) and by the Inca (PLBIO19-289). MVG and LC received support from the FRM and CF received support from ARC foundation and the Centre L&#233;on B&#233;rard.

NOTE: The details of all reagents and materials are listed in the Table of Materials.
1. Spheroid formation
<ol>
	<li>Spheroid culture media
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare basal medium consisting of Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 4 mM L-alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide.</li>
		<li>Prepare DMEM complete medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin (Pen/Strep) in basal medium from step 1.1.1.</li>
		<li>Prepare DMEM/basement mem...

<ol>
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Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genomic+instability+and+colon+carcinogenesis:+from+the+perspective+of+genes.">Genomic instability and colon carcinogenesis: from the perspective of genes.</a> Frontiers in Oncology. 3, 130 (2013).</li><li>Fearon, E. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+genetics+of+colorectal+cancer.">Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer.</a> Annual Review of Pathology. 6 (1), 479-507 (2011).</li><li>Tran, T. Q., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=&#945;-Ketoglutarate+attenuates+Wnt+signaling+and+drives+differentiation+in+colorectal+cancer.">&#945;-Ketoglutarate attenuates Wnt signaling and drives differentiation in colorectal cancer.</a> Nature Cancer. 1 (3), 345-358 (2020).</li><li>Batlle, E., Clevers, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cancer+stem+cells+revisited.">Cancer stem cells revisited.</a> Nature Medicine. 23 (10), 1124-1134 (2017).</li><li>Clevers, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+cancer+stem+cell:+premises,+promises+and+challenges.">The cancer stem cell: premises, promises and challenges.</a> Nature Medicine. 17 (3), 313-319 (2011).</li><li>Barker, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Crypt+stem+cells+as+the+cells-of-origin+of+intestinal+cancer.">Crypt stem cells as the cells-of-origin of intestinal cancer.</a> Nature. 457 (7229), 608-611 (2009).</li><li>Dutta, D., Heo, I., Clevers, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Disease+modeling+in+stem+cell-derived+3D+organoid+systems.">Disease modeling in stem cell-derived 3D organoid systems.</a> Trends in Molecular Medicine. 23 (5), 393-410 (2017).</li><li>Bleijs, M., van de Wetering, M., Clevers, H., Drost, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Xenograft+and+organoid+model+systems+in+cancer+research.">Xenograft and organoid model systems in cancer research.</a> The EMBO Journal. 38 (15), 101654 (2019).</li><li>Kawai, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Three-dimensional+culture+models+mimic+colon+cancer+heterogeneity+induced+by+different+microenvironments.">Three-dimensional culture models mimic colon cancer heterogeneity induced by different microenvironments.</a> Scientific Reports. 10 (1), 3156 (2020).</li><li>Ferreira, L. P., Gaspar, V. M., Mano, J. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Design+of+spherically+structured+3D+in+vitro+tumor+models+-Advances+and+prospects.">Design of spherically structured 3D in vitro tumor models -Advances and prospects.</a> Acta Biomaterialia. 75, 11-34 (2018).</li><li>Friedrich, J., Seidel, C., Ebner, R., Kunz-Schughart, L. 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In vitro 3D models overcome the main experimental drawbacks of 2D cancer cell cultures, as they appear to be more reliable in recapitulating typical tumoral features including microenvironment and cell heterogeneity. Commonly used 3D models of spheroids are scaffold-free (cultured in low-attachment conditions) or scaffold-based (using biomaterials to culture cells). These methods present different disadvantages as they depend on the nature of the scaffold used or give rise to spheroids that are variable in structure and ...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in the world1. The development of CRC is the result of a progressive acquisition and accumulation of genetic mutations and/or epigenetic alterations2,3, including the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes3,4. Moreover, non-genetic factors (e.g., the microenvironment) can contribute to and promote oncogenic transformation and thus participate in the evolution of CRCs5. Importantly, CRCs are composed of different cell populations, including undifferentiated CSCs and bulk tumor cells displaying some differentiation traits, which constitute a hierarchical structure reminiscent of the organization of the epithelium in a normal colon crypt6,7.
CSCs are considered to be responsible for tumor appearance8, its maintenance and growth, metastatic capacity, and resistance to conventional therapies6,7. Within tumors, cancer cells, including CSCs, display a high level of heterogeneity and complexity in terms of their distinct mutational and epigenetic profiles, morphological and phenotypic differences, gene expression, metabolism, proliferation rates, and metastatic potential9. Therefore, to better understand cancer biology, tumor progression, and acquisition of resistance to therapy and its translation into effective treatments, human preclinical models capturing this cancer heterogeneity and hierarchy are important10,11.
In vitro 2D cancer cell lines have been used for a long time and provide valuable insights into tumor development and the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of therapeutic molecules. However, their limitation with respect to the lack of the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity found in the original tumors is now widely recognized12. Moreover, nutrients, oxygen, pH gradients, and the tumor microenvironment are not reproduced, the microenvironment being especially important for the maintenance of different cell types including CSCs11,12. To overcome these main drawbacks, several 3D models have been developed to experimentally address and reproduce the complexity and heterogeneity of cancers. In effect, these models recapitulate tumor cellular heterogeneity, cell-cell interactions, and spatial architecture, similar to those observed in vivo12,13,14. Primary tumor organoids established from fresh tumors, as well as cell line-derived spheroids, are largely employed15,16.
Spheroids can be cultured in a scaffold-free or scaffold-based manner to force the cells to form and grow in cell aggregates. Scaffold-free methods are based on the culture of cells under non-adherent conditions (e.g., the hanging-drop method or ultra-low attachment plates), whereas scaffold-based models rely on natural, synthetic, or hybrid biomaterials to culture cells12,13,14. Scaffold-based spheroids present different disadvantages as the final spheroid formation will depend on the nature and composition of the (bio)material used. Although the scaffold-free spheroid methods available so far do not rely on the nature of the substrate, they generate spheroids that vary in structure and size17,18.
This work was aimed at designing a robust and reproducible 3D culture system of spheroids, which are homogenous in size, composed of Caco2 colon adenocarcinoma cells to study CSC biology. Caco2 cells are of particular interest owing to their capacity to differentiate over time19,20, strongly suggesting a stem-like potential. Accordingly, long-term culture of the spheroids revealed the presence of different CSC populations with different responses to chemotherapy.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>37 &#181;m Reversible Strainer, Large&#160;</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>27250</td>
			<td>To be used with 50 mL conical tubes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5-Fluorouracil</td>
			<td>Gift from Pharmacy of the Centre Leon Berard (CLB)</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>stock solution, 5 mg/100 mL; final concentration, 50 &#181;g/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A9539</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aggrewell 400 24-well plates</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>34411</td>
			<td>1,200 microwells per well for spheroid formation and growth</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti Caspase3 - Rabbit</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>9661</td>
			<td>dilution 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti Musashi-1 (14H1) - Rat</td>
			<td>eBioscience/Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>14-9896-82</td>
			<td>dilution 1:500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-Adherence Rinsing Solution x 100 mL</td>
			<td>STEMCELL Technologies</td>
			<td>07010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-CD133 (13A4) - Rat</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>14-133-82</td>
			<td>dilution 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-CD44 -Rabbit</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab157107</td>
			<td>dilution 1:2000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-PCNA - Mouse</td>
			<td>Dako</td>
			<td>M0879</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-&#946;-catenin - Mouse</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-7963</td>
			<td>dilution 1:50</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Black multiwell plates</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>237108</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Citric Acid Monohydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>C1909</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CLARIOstar apparatus&#160;</td>
			<td>BMG Labtech</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>microplate reader</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dako pen</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>marker pen to mark circles on slides for creating barriers for liquids</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A21202</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 568</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A10037</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Highly Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A21206</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Highly Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 568</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A10042</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) Glutamax (L-alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10569010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16000044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluorogel mounting medium with DAPI</td>
			<td>Interchim</td>
			<td>FP-DT094B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat anti-Rat IgG (H+L) Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 568</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A11077</td>
			<td>dilution 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ImageJ software</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Spheroid image analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Irinotecan&#160;</td>
			<td>Gift from Pharmacy CLB</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>stock solution, 20 mg/mL; final concentration, 100 &#181;g/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>iScript reverse transcriptase&#160;</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1708891</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Leucovorin</td>
			<td>Gift from Pharmacy CLB</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>stock solution, 50 mg/mL; final concentration, 25 &#181;g/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>354234</td>
			<td>Basement membrane matrix</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nucleospin RNA XS Kit</td>
			<td>Macherey-Nagel</td>
			<td>740902 .250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oxaliplatin</td>
			<td>Gift from Pharmacy CLB</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>stock solution, 100 mg/20 mL;final concentration, 10 &#181;g/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-streptomycin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140130</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate Buffer Saline (PBS)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14190250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SYBR qPCR Premix Ex Taq II (Tli RNaseH Plus)</td>
			<td>Takara</td>
			<td>RR420B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SYTOX- Green</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S7020</td>
			<td>nucleic acid stain; dilution 1:5000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA (0.05&#160;%)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25300062</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zeiss-Axiovert microscope</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>inverted microscope for acquiring images of spheroids</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a three-dimensional model of spheroids to study colon cancer stem cells

Colorectal cancers are characterized by heterogeneity and a hierarchical organization comprising a population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) responsible for tumor development, maintenance, and resistance to drugs. A better understanding of CSC properties for their specific targeting is, therefore, a pre-requisite for effective therapy. However, there is a paucity of suitable preclinical models for in-depth investigations. Although in vitro two-dimensional (2D) cancer cell lines provide valuable insights into tumor biology, they do not replicate the phenotypic and genetic tumor heterogeneity. In contrast, three-dimensional (3D) models address and reproduce near-physiological cancer complexity and cell heterogeneity. The aim of this work was to design a robust and reproducible 3D culture system to study CSC biology. The present methodology describes the development and optimization of conditions to generate 3D spheroids, which are homogenous in size, from Caco2 colon adenocarcinoma cells, a model that can be used for long-term culture. Importantly, within the spheroids, the cells which were organized around lumen-like structures, were characterized by differential cell proliferation patterns and by the presence of CSCs expressing a panel of markers. These results provide the first proof-of-concept for the appropriateness of this 3D approach to study cell heterogeneity and CSC biology, including the response to chemotherapy.

As the lack of homogeneity in the size of spheroids is one of the main drawbacks of currently available 3D spheroid culture systems13, the aim of this work was to set up a reliable and reproducible protocol to obtain homogenous spheroids. First, to establish ideal working conditions, different numbers of Caco2 cells were tested, ranging from 50 to 2,000 cells per microwell/spheroid using dedicated plates (Table 1). In effect, each well in these pla...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells at JoVE.com

A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells

This protocol presents a novel, robust, and reproducible culture system to generate and grow three-dimensional spheroids from Caco2 colon adenocarcinoma cells. The results provide the first proof-of-concept for the appropriateness of this approach to study cancer stem cell biology, including the response to chemotherapy.

Colorectal cancers are characterized by heterogeneity and a hierarchical organization comprising a population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) responsible for ...

This new method of spheroid cultures can be used to study the tumorigenicity to analyze the presence of different populations of cancer stem cells and also can be nicely applied to for through high put screen for new drugs. This is a robust and repetitive cultured system for generating large number of homogeneously sized spheroids. Moreover, these spheroids can be used to study cancerous stem cells.This method is set up to study chronic cancer biology but it can be easily set up to study other cancers by changing the 3D culture conditions. Be sure to watch for bubbles in the medium, to not move the plate too much during the spheroids formation and to be careful when harvesting the spheroids into the strainer. Begin by pre treating the wells of a 24 well plate with 500 micro liters of Anti-Adherence Rinsing Solution per well.After a few seconds centrifuge the plate in swinging-bucket rotor and rinse each well with 2 milliliters of warm Basal medium. Observe the plate under the microscope to ensure that the bubbles have been completely removed from the micro wells. If no bubbles are observed, rinse the wells again before adding one milliliter of warm DMEM basement membrane matrix medium to each well.To induce spheroid formation, see the desired concentration of Caco-2 cells in a 2D mono layer in a 10 centimeter dish in DMEM supplemented with 10%FBS and 1%antibiotics. For the culture at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide in a humidified atmosphere. When an 80%confluency is reached, wash the cells with five milliliters of PBS before treating the culture with two milliliters of Trypsin-EDTA for two to five minutes at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide.When the cells have detached neutralize the Trypsin with four milliliters of complete DMEM. After counting, collect the cells by centrifugation and resuspend the palette in the appropriate volume of DMEM basement membrane matrix medium to achieve the desired concentration of cells in one milliliter of medium per well. Add one milliliter of cells to each well of the prepaid 24 well plate, followed by the addition of one milliliter of DMEM basement membrane matrix medium to each well.After seeding, immediately centrifuge the plate and use a light microscope to verify that the cells have been evenly distributed across the micro wells. Then place the plate in the cell culture incubator for 48 hours without disturbing the cells. To harvest the spheroids, at the end of the incubation, use a serological pipette and half of the supernatant in each well to gently dislodge the spheroids from their micro wells.When all of the spheroids have been detached use the pipette to carefully transfer the 3D cultures from each well unto a 37 micron reversible strainer on top of a 15 milliliter conical tube. Wash each well three times with one milliliter of prewarmed Basal medium per wash to collect any remaining spheroids and add these additional spheroids to the strainer. After the last wash check the plate under the microscope to confirm that all of the spheroids have been removed from the micro wells.Then invert the strainer over a new 15 milliliter tube and wash the bottom of the strainer with fresh DMEM basement membrane matrix medium to collect the spheroids into the tube. Spheroids are rising from 500 cells demonstrate the most homogeneous increase in size over time. With 500 and 600 cells per spheroid determine to be the optimal number of cells under which good growth and low variability can be achieved.The addition of basement membrane matrix enhances spheroid growth and homogeneity. In long term culture, the cells appear as dense multi layers at day three. While flattened cells arranged in mono layers are clearly visible at day 10.Interestingly, a lumen appears within the spheroids from day five onward. In addition, a clear increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive cells is observed at days five and seven that declines by day 10. Surprisingly, activated Caspace 3 is observed in very few cells at days three and five only.While high levels of Beta-catenin expression are observed at every time point. The potential of the spheroids to differentiate into Anterosites is evidenced by their Alkaline Phosphatase and solute carrier family 2A5 mRNA expression. In addition, this spheroids express typical cancer stem cell markers and respond to combination chemotherapy treatments routinely administered to colorectal cancer patients.So spheroids are composed of different cell populations. They then can be nicely used to analyze cell specifical responses to stimuli such as refractors and eventually for drug responses.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

5.6K ビュー.  Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Centre Léon Bérard. この新しいスフェロイド培養法は、がん幹細胞の異なる集団の存在を分析するために腫瘍原性を研究するために使用することができ、また、新薬の高いプットスクリーンを通じてうまく適用することができます。これは、多数の均質なサイズのスフェロイドを生成するための堅牢で反復的な培養システムです。また、これらのスフェロイドは、癌性幹細胞を研究するた?...