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.

NOTE: No ethics consideration since animal and human cancer cells were purchased or kindly provided to us.
1. Making Collagen Plugs (Pseudo-primary Tumor)
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a collagen dispersion. Type I collagen from rat tail tendons (RTT) can be either extracted and sterilized as previously reported17, or purchased. Disperse freeze-dried RTT collagen (3.25-3.50 mg/ml in 0.02 N acetic acid) using a blender (high-speed setting; five 2 min runs) for a uniform mixing.</li>
	<li>Harvest (trypsin-EDTA, usually) and use trypan blue exclusion for counting viable cells using a hemocytometer. Adjust to the desired cell density (5 x 104 cells per plug).</li>
	<li>Prepare all solutions (NaOH, fetal bovine serum, DMEM 5x, NaHCO3) separately (Table 1) under sterile conditions and keep chilled on ice. Note: The order of addition of the various solutions is important to prevent osmotic or acidic shocks in cells.</li>
	<li>Perform cell dispersion (1.25 x 106 cells) into the final collagen solution (5 ml) as quickly as possible. Mix well (by pipetting up and down) while avoiding air bubbles, and then quickly distribute 200 &#181;l of the ready-to-use solution in each well of a 96-well plate. Gently strike the multi-well plate on the work area surface of the cell culture hood to remove air bubbles and to spread the solution evenly inside the wells.</li>
	<li>After filling up all the wells (this step takes about 15-20 min per 96-well plate), store it into the incubator.</li>
	<li>Incubate the plate at 37 &#176;C from 2 hr to overnight. Collagen gelation (i.e., fibrillogenesis) occurs within 30 min. Add culture medium (100 &#181;l/well) to the culture to perform an overnight incubation.</li>
</ol>
2. First Layer of Fibrin Gel
<ol>
	<li>Fibrinogen Solution Preparation. 
	NOTE: The same batch of fibrin gel should ideally be used for more reproducible results, as fibrin gel formation may vary between different batches of commercial freeze-dried fibrinogen.
	<ol>
		<li>Always use a freshly prepared fibrinogen solution. Bring the freeze-dried fibrinogen to room temperature before opening the vial to avoid hydrate crystal formation.</li>
		<li>Progressively dissolve the fibrinogen in pre-warmed (37 &#176;C) Hank&#39;s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) with Ca2+/Mg2+ at a working concentration of 3 mg/ml (consider preparing a 15% excess of the minimum final volume required: e.g., 17.25 mg in 5.75 ml for a 5 ml solution).
		<ol>
			<li>Add pre-warmed HBSS dropwise at first to solubilize fibrinogen fragments. Break down larger fragments with a spatula in the beaker. Agitate the beaker from time to time to facilitate mixing. Do not use a stirrer plate during the procedure. Dissolve the remaining powder by pipetting the suspension up and down.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Keep the fibrinogen solution lukewarm while sterilizing the solution by passing it through a 0.22 &#181;m filter. Note: If the HBSS is not warm enough or the fibrinogen not fully dissolved, the solution may clog the filter. If applicable, replace filter once or twice, which may decrease the fibrinogen concentration, and thus fibrin clot stiffness.</li>
		<li>Suspend the cells of interest (e.g., endothelial cells) into ready-to-use fibrinogen solution while adjusting its final volume, as an alternative procedure.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparing the Thrombin Solutions.
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare a stock solution in ddH2O (50 NIH units/ml), then sterilize it using a 0.22 &#181;m filter.</li>
		<li>Use a fibrinogen/thrombin ratio &#8805;1:0.0075 (v/v) in order to generate the fibrin gel.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Generating the Fibrin Gel.
	<ol>
		<li>Keep the sterile fibrinogen and thrombin stock solutions on ice during all the next steps. The fibrin gels are allowed to form in 24-well plates.</li>
		<li>Promptly overlay the surface of each well with the fibrinogen solution (200 &#181;l/well) while avoiding air bubble formation. Process 6 wells at a time.</li>
		<li>Once the fibrinogen solution completely covers the surface of the wells, tilt the plate at a 45&#176; angle and add 1.5 &#181;l of thrombin solution to the first well by dropping the thrombin into the center of the well, and then gently swirl the plate horizontally for 1-2 sec.
		<ol>
			<li>Leave the plate in a stable position under the laminar flow hood (5-10 min) until the gelation/clotting process has completed (N.B.: the polymerization process must not be disturbed, e.g., by transporting the plate to the incubator).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Once the first six wells have polymerized, repeat the same sequence (i.e. the 3 previous steps) for the next six wells until all wells have been processed.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Second Layer of Fibrin Gel and Sandwiched Collagen Plug
<ol>
	<li>Option A: (Using the Collagen Plug Immediately).
	<ol>
		<li>Make sure that the first layer of fibrin gel has polymerized in all wells by delicately tilting the plate. Place the 96-well plate containing the collagen gel plugs side by side with the 24-well plate (containing the fibrin gels) to ease transfer of the collagen plugs.</li>
		<li>Add one drop of HBSS into each well of the plate containing the collagen plugs.</li>
		<li>Remove each collagen plug from the well with a thin needle mounted on a syringe (used as a handle) or using a micro-spoon (see video). Transfer each collagen plug onto the first fibrin gel layer using one or two micro-spoons, while making sure that the collagen plug is well centered into the well and that sterility is well maintained.</li>
		<li>Overlay the previously formed fibrin gel with the second layer of fibrinogen solution (300 &#181;l/well) and introduce the thrombin as described in 2.3, keeping a minimal 1:0.0075 ratio and a sequence of six wells at a time.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Option B (Coating the Collagen Plug with a Thin Layer of Growth Factor-reduced Basement Membrane (GFRBM)).
	<ol>
		<li>Cool all the prepared solutions and instruments beforehand and keep them at 4 &#176;C or on ice (e.g., pipettes, tips, test tubes) during handling since frozen aliquots of GFRBM are very sensitive to excessive heating rate during thawing (follow the manufacturer&#39;s instructions).</li>
		<li>Following removal from the plate wells, soak each collagen plug for 2 min in a 1.5-ml centrifuge tube on ice containing 100 &#181;l of a pure GRFBM solution.</li>
		<li>Transfer each coated plug onto the first fibrin layer while ensuring it is well-centered, as described earlier. Incubate the plug-containing plates at 37 &#176;C for 5 min to allow the GRFBM to form a gel. Add the second fibrin layer as in step 3.1.4.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Cell Culture Medium Conditions
<ol>
	<li>Fill each well with culture medium (400 &#181;l). The culture media and supplements will be selected based on the cell line and experimental conditions.</li>
	<li>Add aprotinin, an antifibrinolytic agent, to culture medium at a final concentration of 100 kallikrein inhibitor units (KIU)/ml. 
	NOTE: Store the plates in a cell culture incubator under the conditions used for the cell line tested.</li>
	<li>Replenish cultures with fresh medium every other day or according to the experimental schedule, and add aprotinin. Before adding fresh medium, slightly tilt the plate (at a 30-35&#176; angle) and incline the pipet against the side of the well while carefully suctioning the conditioned medium under constant observation.</li>
</ol>

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The authors have no disclosure.

As an important technical footnote, it is essential that no gap is present at the interface between the central and the peripheral gels. Otherwise, it might reduce the capacity of the cells to migrate/invade the fibrin gel. A space between the collagen and the fibrin gels may form during the first 24 hr of culture if thrombin has not been appropriately diluted. It is also possible that the cell line tested might lead the collagen gel to contract during culture, thereby causing a relatively large space to form between bot...

Investigating the fundamental and biomedical characteristics of cancer cell invasion/migration and subsequent metastasis establishment is the subject of an intense research1,2. Metastasis is the ultimate stage of cancer and its clinical management remains elusive. A better understanding of metastasis at the cellular and molecular levels will enable the development of more efficient therapies3.
Several properties of metastatic cells can be explored in vitro4 including their stemness and potential to acquire a transition state (e.g., epithelioid-mesenchymal transition) to migrate and invade within and from the primary tumor5. However, the in vitro assessment of invasion/metastasis processes has been a challenge since it virtually excludes the contribution of the blood/lymphatic circulation. Organotypic cultures that embed tumor fragments in collagen gels have previously been used to monitor cancer aggressiveness. Although the complexity of tumors is preserved (e.g., the presence of non-cancerous cells), tumor fragments are exposed to limited medium diffusion, to sampling variation, and to an overgrowth of stromal cells6. An alternative method consists in growing cancer cells within components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which mimics the three-dimensional (3D) cell environment. The proliferation of breast cancer cell lines in a collagen gel and/or a basement membrane-derived matrix is amongst the best-characterized examples of 3D cell culture. By using specific 3D cell culture environments, the disorganized assembly observed for breast cancer cells grown under standard conditions can be reversed to the spontaneous formation of mammary acini and tubular structures7-10. Furthermore, the formation of multicellular tumor spheroids derived from adenocarcinoma cancer cells congregated using different techniques (e.g., hanging drops, floating spheroids, agar embedment) now constitutes the most commonly used 3D cell culture assay11-13. However, this assay is limited by the restricted set of cancer cell lines that can form spheroids and by the short period available to study cells in these conditions.
In this visualized technique, we herein introduce a sophisticated 3D cell culture assay where cancer cells of interest are embedded in a collagen gel to allow the in vitro formation of a pseudo-primary tumor that can be alternatively coated with a basement membrane-derived matrix. Once formed, the pseudo-primary tumor is then sandwiched in an acellular matrix (fibrin gel in the present case), which allows the cancer cells to cross the interface between the two matrix compartments (see Figure 1). Interestingly, secondary tumor-like structures originating from the pseudo-primary tumor along with aggressive cancer cells appear in the fibrin gel. Such a 3D culture system offers the flexibility required to investigate, for example, anticancer drugs, gene expression and cell-cell and/or cell-ECM interactions14-16.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/54322/54322fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Overview of the Method. Schematic summary of the method to generate the 3D cell culture system as a model for cancer studies. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54322/54322fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

<table><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 &lt;i&gt;et al&lt;/i&gt;., ref.#14)</td></tr><tr><td>Fibrinogen (freeze-dried)</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich&amp;nbsp;</td><td>F8630</td><td>Type I-S, 65 - 85% protein with &amp;ge; 75% of protein is clottable</td></tr><tr><td>Thrombin</td><td>EMD Chemicals Inc.</td><td>605157</td><td>&amp;nbsp;Gibbstown, NJ; NIH units/mg dry weight&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Growth factor-reduced Matrigel&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Corning</td><td>356234</td><td>Previously from BD Biosciences</td></tr><tr><td>Aprotinin</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>A6279&amp;nbsp;</td><td>&amp;nbsp;solution at 5 - 10T IU/ml (Trypsin Inhibitor Unit)&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>&amp;nbsp;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&#039;s modified Eagle&#039;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&amp;rsquo;s Balanced Salt Solution&amp;nbsp;</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

Mammalian cell culture in monolayers is widely used to study various physiological and molecular processes. However, this approach to study growing cells often generates unwanted artifacts. Therefore, cell culture in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, often using extracellular matrix components, emerged as an interesting alternative due to its close similarity to the native in vivo tissue or organ. We developed a 3D cell culture system using two compartments, namely (i) a central compartment containing cancer cells embedded in a collagen gel acting as a pseudo-primary macrospherical tumor and (ii) a peripheral cell-free compartment made of a fibrin gel, i.e. an extracellular matrix component different from that used in the center, in which cancer cells can migrate (invasion front) and/or form microspherical tumors representing secondary or satellite tumors. The formation of satellite tumors in the peripheral compartment is remarkably correlated to the known aggressiveness or metastatic origin of the native tumor cells, which makes this 3D culture system unique. This cell culture approach might be considered to assess cancer cell invasiveness and motility, cell-extracellular matrix interactions and as a method to evaluate anti-cancer drug properties.

As previously mentioned, an interesting feature of this 3D cell culture assay is that cancer cells can not only migrate from the collagen plug to the adjacent fibrin gel, but also establish secondary tumors (e.g., satellite tumor-like structures). This can be directly observed with an inverted phase contrast microscope at low and high magnifications through the gel thickness, especially with a long working distance condenser (Figure 2). Using this 3D cell culture...

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.

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

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Medicine

10.3K Views.  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.

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

Spheroid Assay to Measure TGF-&#946;-induced Invasion

TGF-&beta; has opposing roles in breast cancer progression by acting as a tumor suppressor in the initial phase, but stimulating invasion and metastasis at later stage1,2. Moreover, TGF-&beta; is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer and its expression correlates with poor prognosis and metastasis 3,4. The mechanisms by which TGF-&beta; induces invasion are not well understood.
TGF-&beta; elicits its cellular responses via TGF-&beta; type II (T&beta;RII) and type I (T&beta;RI) receptors. Upon TGF-&beta;-induced heteromeric complex formation, T&beta;RII phosphorylates the T&beta;RI. The activated T&beta;RI initiates its intracellular canonical signaling pathway by phosphorylating receptor Smads (R-Smads), i.e. Smad2 and Smad3. These activated R-Smads form heteromeric complexes with Smad4, which accumulate in the nucleus and regulate the transcription of target genes5. In addition to the previously described Smad pathway, receptor activation results in activation of several other non-Smad signaling pathways, for example Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways6.
To study the role of TGF-&beta; in different stages of breast cancer, we made use of the MCF10A cell system. This system consists of spontaneously immortalized MCF10A1 (M1) breast epithelial cells7, the H-RAS transformed M1-derivative MCF10AneoT (M2), which produces premalignant lesions in mice8, and the M2-derivative MCF10CA1a (M4), which was established from M2 xenografts and forms high grade carcinomas with the ability to metastasize to the lung9. This MCF10A series offers the possibility to study the responses of cells with different grades of malignancy that are not biased by a different genetic background.
For the analysis of TGF-&beta;-induced invasion, we generated homotypic MCF10A spheroid cell cultures embedded in a 3D collagen matrix in vitro (Fig 1). Such models closely resemble human tumors in vivo by establishing a gradient of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in active and invasive cells on the outside and quiescent or even necrotic cells in the inside of the spheroid10. Spheroid based assays have also been shown to better recapitulate drug resistance than monolayer cultures11. This MCF10 3D model system allowed us to investigate the impact of TGF-&beta; signaling on the invasive properties of breast cells in different stages of malignancy.

An assay to quantitatively measure Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-&#x03B2;-induced invasion in 3-dimensional collagen gels is described. This assay takes advantage of the MCF10A series of cell lines, which represent different stages of breast cancer development. This method can be adopted to be used with other cell lines and might be used to investigate other potential activators or inhibitors of invasion.

TGF-&beta; has opposing roles in breast cancer progression by acting as a tumor suppressor in the initial phase, but stimulating invasion and metastasis ...

3-D Cell Culture System for Studying Invasion and Evaluating Therapeutics in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is a significant health problem. It is estimated that more than 16,000 people will die this year in the United States from bladder cancer. While 75% of bladder cancers are non-invasive and unlikely to metastasize, about 25% progress to an invasive growth pattern. Up to half of the patients with invasive cancers will develop lethal metastatic relapse. Thus, understanding the mechanism of invasive progression in bladder cancer is crucial to predict patient outcomes and prevent lethal metastases. In this article, we present a three-dimensional cancer invasion model which allows incorporation of tumor cells and stromal components to mimic in vivo conditions occurring in the bladder tumor microenvironment. This model provides the opportunity to observe the invasive process in real time using time-lapse imaging, interrogate the molecular pathways involved using confocal immunofluorescent imaging and screen compounds with the potential to block invasion. While this protocol focuses on bladder cancer, it is likely that similar methods could be used to examine invasion and motility in other tumor types as well.

The processes governing bladder cancer invasion represent opportunities for biomarker and therapeutic development. Here we present a bladder cancer invasion model which incorporates 3-D culture of tumor spheroids, time-lapse imaging and confocal microscopy. This technique is useful for defining the features of the invasive process and for screening therapeutic agents.

Bladder cancer is a significant health problem. It is estimated that more than 16,000 people will die this year in the United States from bladder cancer. ...

Cancer Research

Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay

Two-dimensional cell culture-based assays are commonly used in in vitro cancer research. However, they lack several basic elements that form the tumor microenvironment. To obtain more reliable in vitro results, several three-dimensional (3D) cell culture assays have been introduced. These assays allow cancer cells to interact with the extracellular matrix. This interaction affects cell behavior, such as proliferation and invasion, as well as cell morphology. Additionally, this interaction could induce or suppress the expression of several pro- and anti-tumorigenic molecules. Spheroid invasion assay was developed to provide a suitable 3D in vitro method to study cancer cell invasion. Currently, animal-derived matrices, such as mouse sarcoma-derived matrix (MSDM) and rat tail type I collagen, are mainly used in the spheroid invasion assays. Taking into consideration the differences between the human tumor microenvironment and animal-derived matrices, a human myoma-derived matrix (HMDM) was developed from benign uterus leiomyoma tissue. It has been shown that HMDM induces migration and invasion of carcinoma cells better than MSDM. This protocol provided a simple, reproducible, and reliable 3D human tumor-based spheroid invasion assay using the HMDM/fibrin matrix. It also includes detailed instructions on imaging and analysis. The spheroids grow in a U-shaped ultra-low attachment plate within the HMDM/fibrin matrix and invade through it. The invasion is daily imaged, measured, and analyzed using ilastik and Fiji ImageJ software. The assay platform was demonstrated using human laryngeal primary and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. However, the protocol is suitable also for other solid cancer cell lines.

Tumor microenvironment is an essential part of cancer growth and invasion. To mimic carcinoma progression, a biologically relevant human matrix is needed. This protocol introduces an improvement for the in vitro three-dimensional spheroid invasion assay by applying a human leiomyoma-based matrix. The protocol also introduces a computer-based cell invasion analysis.

Two-dimensional cell culture-based assays are commonly used in in vitro cancer research. However, they lack several basic elements that form the tumor ...

Monitoring Cancer Cell Invasion and T-Cell Cytotoxicity in 3D Culture

Significant progress has been made in treating cancer with immunotherapy, although a large number of cancers remain resistant to treatment. A limited number of assays allow for direct monitoring and mechanistic insights into the interactions between tumor and immune cells, amongst which, T-cells play a significant role in executing the cytotoxic response of the adaptive immune system to cancer cells. Most assays are based on two-dimensional (2D) co-culture of cells due to the relative ease of use but with limited representation of the invasive growth phenotype, one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Current three-dimensional (3D) co-culture systems either require special equipment or separate monitoring for invasion of co-cultured cancer cells and interacting T-cells.
Here we describe an approach to simultaneously monitor the invasive behavior in 3D of cancer cell spheroids and T-cell cytotoxicity in co-culture. Spheroid formation is driven by enhanced cell-cell interactions in scaffold-free agarose microwell casts with U-shaped bottoms. Both T-cell co-culture and cancer cell invasion into type I collagen matrix are performed within the microwells of the agarose casts without the need to transfer the cells, thus maintaining an intact 3D co-culture system throughout the assay. The collagen matrix can be separated from the agarose cast, allowing for immunofluorescence (IF) staining and for confocal imaging of cells. Also, cells can be isolated for further growth or subjected to analyses such as for gene expression or fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Finally, the 3D co-culture can be analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) after embedding and sectioning. Possible modifications of the assay include altered compositions of the extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as the inclusion of different stromal or immune cells with the cancer cells.

The presented approach simultaneously evaluates cancer cell invasion in 3D spheroid assays and T-cell cytotoxicity. Spheroids are generated in a scaffold-free agarose multi-microwell cast. Co-culture and embedding in type I collagen matrix are performed within the same device which allows to monitor cancer cell invasion and T-cell mediated cytotoxicity.

Significant progress has been made in treating cancer with immunotherapy, although a large number of cancers remain resistant to treatment. A limited ...

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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 between invasive and non-invasive cells, and enables study of the effects of test compounds on tumor invasion. Cancer cells - either as aggregates or single cells - are confronted with fragments of embryonic chick heart. After organ culture in suspension for a few days or weeks the confronting cultures are fixed and embedded in paraffin for histological analysis. The three-dimensional interaction between the cancer cells and the normal tissue is then reconstructed from serial sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin or after immunohistochemical staining for epitopes in the heart tissue or the confronting cancer cells. The assay is consistent with the recent concept that cancer invasion is the result of molecular interactions between the cancer cells and their neighbouring stromal host elements (myofibroblasts, endothelial cells, extracellular matrix components, etc.). Here, this stromal environment is offered to the cancer cells as a living tissue fragment. Supporting aspects to the relevance of the assay are multiple. Invasion in the assay is in accordance with the criteria of cancer invasion: progressive occupation and replacement in time and space of the host tissue, and invasiveness and non-invasiveness in vivo of the confronting cells generally correlates with the outcome of the assay. Furthermore, the invasion pattern of cells in vivo, as defined by pathologists, is reflected in the histological images in the assay. Quantitative structure-activity relation (QSAR) analysis of the results obtained with numerous potentially anti-invasive organic congener compounds allowed the study of structure-activity relations for flavonoids and chalcones, and known anti-metastatic drugs used in the clinic (e.g., microtubule inhibitors) inhibit invasion in the assay as well. However, the assay does not take into account immunological contributions to cancer invasion.

Here, we present a protocol to study the invasion of tumor cells into living normal tissue fragments in three dimensions. This organ culture technique is mainly applied to test potentially anti-invasive drugs in vitro.

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 ...

A Cancer Cell Spheroid Assay to Assess Invasion in a 3D Setting

The invasive nature of cancer cell lines is thought to correlate with their metastatic potential. Most traditional assays, however, do not examine these invasive features in a three-dimensional environment and the resulting data suffer from reduced biological applicability. Here an approach is presented to visualize the invasive ability of cell lines in a physiologically relevant setting. The cancer cell spheroid invasion assay first utilizes gravity to generate spheroids within drops of media that hang from the lid of a cell culture dish. Next, these spheroids are embedded in a 3D matrix consisting of a mixture of basement membrane materials and type I collagen. Cancer cell egression from the spheroids into the surrounding matrix is then monitored over time. The method described here can be modified to examine invasion after coculture of different cell types, inclusion of drugs/inhibitors, or alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents.

This method evaluates cancer cell invasion from spheroids into a surrounding 3D matrix. Spheroids are generated via the hanging drop culture method and then embedded in a matrix comprised of basement membrane materials and type I collagen. Invasion out of the spheroids is subsequently monitored.

The invasive nature of cancer cell lines is thought to correlate with their metastatic potential.  Most traditional assays, however, do not examine these ...

3D Culture Basement Membrane Assay: Culturing Cancer Cells on 3D Basement Membrane Protein Matrix to Study Cell Invasion

Source: Cvetkovi&#263;, D., et al. <a href="https://www.jove.com/v/51341/quantification-breast-cancer-cell-invasiveness-using-three">Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (2014).
This video 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.

Test błony podstawnej hodowli 3D: hodowla komórek rakowych na matrycy białkowej błony podstawnej 3D w celu zbadania inwazji komórek

Source: Cvetkovi&#263;, D., et al. Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model. J. Vis. Exp. (2014).
This video ...