Name: establishment and analysis of three-dimensional (3d) organoids derived from patient prostate cancer bone metastasis specimens and their xenografts
Uploaded: 2020-02-03T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Establishment and Analysis of Three-Dimensional 3D Organoids Derived from Patient Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis Specimens and their Xenografts at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the Leo and Anne Albert Charitable Foundation and JM Foundation. We thank the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center members, Dr. Jing Yang and Dr. Kay T. Yeung for allowing us the use of their microtome and Randall French, Department of Surgery for technical expertise.

This study was carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guide for the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRB #090401 Approval was received from the UCSD Institutional Review Board (IRB) to collect surgical specimen from patients for research purposes. An informed consent was obtained from each patient and a surgical bone prostate cancer metastasis specimen was obtained from orthopedic repair of a pathologic fracture in the femur. Animal protocols were perfo...

<ol>
	<li>Fatehullah, A., Tan, S. H., Barker, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organoids+as+an+in+vitro+model+of+human+development+and+disease.">Organoids as an in vitro model of human development and disease.</a> Nature Cell Biology. 18 (3), 246-254 (2016).</li><li>Tushir, J. 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=Unregulated+ARF6+activation+in+epithelial+cysts+generates+hyperactive+signaling+endosomes+and+disrupts+morphogenesis.">Unregulated ARF6 activation in epithelial cysts generates hyperactive signaling endosomes and disrupts morphogenesis.</a> Molecular Biology of the Cell. 21 (13), 2355-2366 (2010).</li><li>Karthaus, W. R., 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=Identification+of+multipotent+luminal+progenitor+cells+in+human+prostate+organoid+cultures.">Identification of multipotent luminal progenitor cells in human prostate organoid cultures.</a> Cell. 159 (1), 163-175 (2014).</li><li>McCray, T., Richards, Z., Marsili, J., Prins, G. S., Nonn, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Handling+and+Assessment+of+Human+Primary+Prostate+Organoid+Culture.">Handling and Assessment of Human Primary Prostate Organoid Culture.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (143), 59051 (2019).</li><li>Drost, J., 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=Organoid+culture+systems+for+prostate+epithelial+and+cancer+tissue.">Organoid culture systems for prostate epithelial and cancer tissue.</a> Nature Protocols. 11 (2), 347-358 (2016).</li><li>Gao, D., 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=Organoid+cultures+derived+from+patients+with+advanced+prostate+cancer.">Organoid cultures derived from patients with advanced prostate cancer.</a> Cell. 159 (1), 176-187 (2014).</li><li>Vlachogiannis, G., 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=Patient-derived+organoids+model+treatment+response+of+metastatic+gastrointestinal+cancers.">Patient-derived organoids model treatment response of metastatic gastrointestinal cancers.</a> Science. 359 (6378), 920-926 (2018).</li><li>Cheung, K. J., Gabrielson, E., Werb, Z., Ewald, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Collective+invasion+in+breast+cancer+requires+a+conserved+basal+epithelial+program.">Collective invasion in breast cancer requires a conserved basal epithelial program.</a> Cell. 155 (7), 1639-1651 (2013).</li><li>Abou-Kheir, W. G., Hynes, P. G., Martin, P. L., Pierce, R., Kelly, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterizing+the+contribution+of+stem/progenitor+cells+to+tumorigenesis+in+the+Pten-/-TP53-/-+prostate+cancer+model.">Characterizing the contribution of stem/progenitor cells to tumorigenesis in the Pten-/-TP53-/- prostate cancer model.</a> Stem Cells. 28 (12), 2129-2140 (2010).</li><li>Beshiri, M. L., 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=A+PDX/Organoid+Biobank+of+Advanced+Prostate+Cancers+Captures+Genomic+and+Phenotypic+Heterogeneity+for+Disease+Modeling+and+Therapeutic+Screening.">A PDX/Organoid Biobank of Advanced Prostate Cancers Captures Genomic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity for Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Screening.</a> Clinical Cancer Research. 24 (17), 4332-4345 (2018).</li><li>Debnath, J., Brugge, J. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Modelling+glandular+epithelial+cancers+in+three-dimensional+cultures.">Modelling glandular epithelial cancers in three-dimensional cultures.</a> Nature Reviews Cancer. 5 (9), 675-688 (2005).</li><li>Lee, S. H., 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=Tumor+Evolution+and+Drug+Response+in+Patient-Derived+Organoid+Models+of+Bladder+Cancer.">Tumor Evolution and Drug Response in Patient-Derived Organoid Models of Bladder Cancer.</a> Cell. 173 (2), 515-528 (2018).</li><li>Puca, L., 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=Patient+derived+organoids+to+model+rare+prostate+cancer+phenotypes.">Patient derived organoids to model rare prostate cancer phenotypes.</a> Nature Communications. 9 (1), 2404 (2018).</li><li>Murrow, L. M., Weber, R. J., Gartner, Z. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dissecting+the+stem+cell+niche+with+organoid+models:+an+engineering-based+approach.">Dissecting the stem cell niche with organoid models: an engineering-based approach.</a> Development. 144 (6), 998-1007 (2017).</li><li>Neal, J. T., 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=Organoid+Modeling+of+the+Tumor+Immune+Microenvironment.">Organoid Modeling of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.</a> Cell. 175 (7), 1972-1988 (2018).</li><li>Simmons, J. K., 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=Animal+Models+of+Bone+Metastasis.">Animal Models of Bone Metastasis.</a> Veterinary Pathology. 52 (5), 827-841 (2015).</li><li>Godebu, E., 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=PCSD1,+a+new+patient-derived+model+of+bone+metastatic+prostate+cancer,+is+castrate-resistant+in+the+bone-niche.">PCSD1, a new patient-derived model of bone metastatic prostate cancer, is castrate-resistant in the bone-niche.</a> Journal of Translational Medicine. 12, 275 (2014).</li><li>. Keyence Fluorescence Microscope Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.keyence.com/ss/products/microscope/bz-x/">https://www.keyence.com/ss/products/microscope/bz-x/</a> (2019)</li></ol>

3D organoids derived from patient bone metastasis prostate cancer cells are still relatively rare. Here, we describe strategies and further optimized protocol to successfully established serial 3D patient derived organoids (PDOs) of BMPC. In addition, protocols are described to secure the organoids in samples with lower cell density for IFC and IHC analysis. Differential phenotypes in the form of cyst, spheroids and more complex organoids indicate that this protocol provides culture conditions that allows for heterogonou...

Three-dimensional cultured organoids have drawn attention for their potential to recapitulate the in vivo architecture, cellular functionality and genetic signature of their original tissues1,2,3,4,5. Most importantly, 3D organoids established from patient tumor tissues or patient derived xenograft (PDX) models provide invaluable opportunities to understand mechanisms of cellular signaling upon tumorigenesis and to determine the effects of drug treatment on each cell population6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13. Drost et al.5 developed a standard protocol for establishment of human and mouse prostate organoids, which has been widely adopted in the field of urology. In addition, significant effort has been dedicated for further characterization of 3D organoids and to understand the detailed mechanisms of tumorigenesis and metastasis4,12,14,15. In addition to the previously established and widely accepted protocol for 3D organoids cultures, we describe here a step-by-step protocol for the 3D culture of PDO using three different doming methods in optimized culture conditions.
In this manuscript, 3D organoids were established as an ex vivo model of bone metastatic prostate cancer (BMPC). The cells used for these cultures came from the Prostate Cancer San Diego (PCSD) series and were derived directly from patient prostate cancer bone metastatic tumor tissues (PCSD18 and PCSD22) or patient derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models (samples named PCSD1, PCSD13, and PCSD17). Because spontaneous bone metastasis of prostate cancer cells is rare in genetically engineered mouse models16, we used direct intra-femoral (IF) injection of human tumor cells into male Rag2-/-&#947;c-/- mice to establish the PDX models of bone metastatic prostate cancer17.
Once 3D organoids are established from heterogeneous patient tumor cells or patient derived xenografts, it is essential to confirm their identity as prostate tumor cells and to determine their phenotypes in the 3D organoid cultures. Immunofluorescence chemistry (IFC) allows the visualization of protein expression in situ in each cell, often indicating the potential functions for specific cell populations2,4. In general, IFC protocols for a vast majority of samples including tissues and cells are straightforward and fully optimized. However, the cell density and number of organoids can be significantly lower than that of conventional culture. Therefore, the IFC protocol for organoids requires additional steps to ensure proper processing and embedding in paraffin for all organoids in the samples. We describe additional steps for an agarose pre-embedding process and tips to label the location of sectioned organoids on the slide that increases the success rate of IFC on organoids especially when the samples of organoids have lower cell density than desired.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1 mL Pipettman</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>F123602</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 mL Syringe</td>
			<td>BD Syringe</td>
			<td>329654</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL tube</td>
			<td>Spectrum Lab Products</td>
			<td>941-11326-ATP083</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>25G Needle</td>
			<td>BD PrecisionGlide Needle</td>
			<td>305122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4% Paraformaldehyde (PFA)</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>J61899</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% Ethanol (EtOH)</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH1164-4LP</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>A83-01</td>
			<td>Tocris Bioscience</td>
			<td>2939</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Accumax</td>
			<td>Innovative Cell Technologies, Inc.</td>
			<td>AM105</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>adDMEM</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>12634010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>50000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibody -for Cytokeratin 5</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>905901</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibody for Cytokeratin 8</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>904801</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>B27</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>17504044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bioluminescence imaging system, IVIS 200</td>
			<td>Perkin Elmer Inc</td>
			<td>IVIS 200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Plate - 24 well</td>
			<td>Costar</td>
			<td>3524</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Plate - 48 well</td>
			<td>Costar</td>
			<td>3548</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Culture Plate - 6 well</td>
			<td>Costar</td>
			<td>3516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Dissociation Solution, Accumax</td>
			<td>Innovative Cell Technologies, Inc.</td>
			<td>AM105</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Recovery Solution</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>354253</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Scraper</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>83.180</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Strainer</td>
			<td>Falcon (Corning)</td>
			<td>352350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CO2 incubator</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>3546</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DAPI</td>
			<td>Vector Vectashield</td>
			<td>H-1200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DHT</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D-073-1ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dPBS</td>
			<td>Corning/Cellgro</td>
			<td>21-031-CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EGF</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>AF-100-15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FBS</td>
			<td>Gemini Bio-Products</td>
			<td>100-106</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FGF10</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>100-26</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FGF2</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>100-18B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps</td>
			<td>Denville Scientific</td>
			<td>S728696</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glutamax</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>35050-061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15630-080</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LS Columns</td>
			<td>Miltenyi</td>
			<td>130-0420401</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnetic Column Seperator: QuadroMACS Separator</td>
			<td>Miltenyi</td>
			<td>130-090-976</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Marker</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>52877-355</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel (Growth Factor Reduced)</td>
			<td>Mediatech Inc. (Corning)</td>
			<td>356231</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel (High Concentration)</td>
			<td>BD (Fisher Scientific)</td>
			<td>CB354248</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope Imaging Software, Keyence</td>
			<td>BZ-X800 (newest software) BZ-X700 (old software)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope, Keyence</td>
			<td>BZ-X700 (model 2016-2017)/BZ-X710 (model 2018-2019)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mouse Cell Depletion Kit</td>
			<td>Miltenyi</td>
			<td>130-104-694</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N-Acetylcysteine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A9165-5G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nicotinamide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>N0636-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Noggin</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>120-10C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>OCT Compound</td>
			<td>Tissue-Tek</td>
			<td>4583</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td>American National Can</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pen-Strep</td>
			<td>Mediatech Inc. (Corning)</td>
			<td>30-002-CI-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pipette tipes for 1 mL (Blue Tips)</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand Redi-Tip</td>
			<td>21-197-85</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plunger (from 3 mL syringe)</td>
			<td>BD Syringe</td>
			<td>309657</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Prostaglandin E2</td>
			<td>Tocris Bioscience</td>
			<td>2296</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>R-Spondin 1</td>
			<td>Trevigen</td>
			<td>3710-001-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SB2021190</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S7076-25MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Small Table Top Centrifuge</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>75002426</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water Bath</td>
			<td>Fisher Sci</td>
			<td>2320</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Y-27632 Dihydrochloride</td>
			<td>Abmole Bioscience</td>
			<td>M1817</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

establishment and analysis of three-dimensional (3d) organoids derived from patient prostate cancer bone metastasis specimens and their xenografts

Three-dimensional (3D) culture of organoids from tumor specimens of human patients and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of prostate cancer, referred to as patient-derived organoids (PDO), are an invaluable resource for studying the mechanism of tumorigenesis and metastasis of prostate cancer. Their main advantage is that they maintain the distinctive genomic and functional heterogeneity of the original tissue compared to conventional cell lines that do not. Furthermore, 3D cultures of PDO can be used to predict the effects of drug treatment on individual patients and are a step towards personalized medicine. Despite these advantages, few groups routinely use this method in part because of the extensive optimization of PDO culture conditions that may be required for different patient samples. We previously demonstrated that our prostate cancer bone metastasis PDX model, PCSD1, recapitulated the resistance of the donor patient&rsquo;s bone metastasis to anti-androgen therapy. We used PCSD1 3D organoids to characterize further the mechanisms of anti-androgen resistance. Following an overview of currently published studies of PDX and PDO models, we describe a step-by-step protocol for 3D culture of PDO using domed or floating basement membrane (e.g., Matrigel) spheres in optimized culture conditions. In vivo stitch imaging and cell processing for histology are also described. This protocol can be further optimized for other applications including western blot, co-culture, etc. and can be used to explore characteristics of 3D cultured PDO pertaining to drug resistance, tumorigenesis, metastasis and therapeutics.

3D organoids were successfully established from a patient derived xenograft (PDX) model of bone metastatic prostate cancer (BMPC) as well as directly from patient bone metastatic prostate cancer tissue (Figure 4). Briefly, our PDX models of BMPC were established by intra-femoral (IF) injection of tumor cells into male Rag2-/- c-/- mice and then PDX tumors were harvested and processed as described in this manuscript. As shown in Figure 4, PD...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Establishment and Analysis of Three-Dimensional 3D Organoids Derived from Patient Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis Specimens and their Xenografts at JoVE.com

Establishment and Analysis of Three-Dimensional 3D Organoids Derived from Patient Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis Specimens and their Xenografts

Three-dimensional cultures of patient BMPC specimens and xenografts of bone metastatic prostate cancer maintain the functional heterogeneity of their original tumors resulting in cysts, spheroids and complex, tumor-like organoids. This manuscript provides an optimization strategy and protocol for 3D culture of heterogeneous patient derived samples and their analysis using IFC.

Establishment and Analysis of Three-Dimensional (3D) Organoids Derived from Patient Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis Specimens and their Xenografts

Three-dimensional (3D) culture of organoids from tumor specimens of human patients and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of prostate cancer, referred ...

We describe strategies and step-by-step protocols to establish serial 3D patient-derived organoids of bone metastatic prostate cancer. Our optimized protocols are practical to set up 3D cultures for experiments using limited starting material directly from patients or patient-derived xenograft tumor tissues. The 3D organoids from this protocol can be used as ex vivo models to understand basic mechanisms of bone metastatic prostate cancer pathology and to test treatment.The 3D organoid culture media in this protocol is specific for prostate-derived cells. Other parts of our protocols are applicable to different types of tumor tissues and metastatic sites. The doming technique may prove to be the most difficult part of this process.Practicing the doming technique will ensure a consistent size of the domed mixture of organoids, media, and Matrigel, and minimize bubble formation during sample suspension. Visually demonstrating this method provides a better understanding of how to handle the viscous Matrigel for successfully culturing lower density organoids from a low number of cells. Start by resuspending the cell pellet in the appropriate volume of basement membrane for a 24-well plate setup.Pipette up and down gently to ensure that the cells are resuspended, then pipette the appropriate volume of the cell suspension into the center of a pre-warmed tissue culture plate. Invert the plate and immediately place it upside down in the cell culture incubator set at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide for 15 minutes. Pipette the appropriate volume of pre-warmed medium containing 10 micromolar Y-27632 dihydrochloride into each well.To form a floating dome from the attached round dome, detach the dome from the plate using a cell scraper. Cut a two by four inch piece of paraffin film and place it on top of the divots of an empty tip holding rack from a one milliliter plastic pipette tip box. Use a gloved index finger to gently press down on the paraffin film to trace the divots taking care not to break through the film.Spray the paraffin film with 70%ethanol and turn on the UV lamp in the cell culture hood to sterilize the prepared film for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, resuspend the pre-processed cells in 20 microliters of basement membrane. Then pipette the suspension into the divots formed in the paraffin film.Place the solidified beads and paraffin film into a six-well plate and pipette three to five milliliters of pre-warmed medium containing 10 micromolar Y-27632 dihydrochloride into each well while gently brushing beads off of the paraffin film. To process the organoids for histology, remove existing media from the well taking care not to aspirate the basement membrane domes. Add an equal volume of cell recovery solution and incubate the plate for 60 minutes at four degrees Celsius.After the incubation, dislodge the basement membrane dome using a pipette and crush it with a pipette tip. Collect the dissociated dome and the cell recovery solution into a 1.5 milliliter tube. Centrifuge the tube at 300 times g in four degrees Celsius for five minutes, then remove the supernatant and set it aside.Save all the supernatants until the final step when the presence of organoids is confirmed at the desired volume of cold PBS and gently pipette up and down to mechanically dislodge the pellet without disrupting the organoids. Repeat the centrifugation and remove the supernatant. Fix the pellet in a matched volume of 4%PFA for 60 minutes at room temperature.After fixation, repeat the centrifugation step and PBS wash. Then slowly add 200 microliters of warm 2%agarose and immediately but gently detach the cell pellet from the tube wall without disrupting it using a 25 gauge needle attached to a one milliliter syringe. For the agarose spin down method, it is critical to detach the cell pellet from the wall of the tube right after adding agarose using a 25 gauge needle.Once the agarose has completely solidified, detach it from the tube with a 25 gauge needle attached to a one milliliter syringe and transfer it to a new 1.5 milliliter tube. Fill the tube with 70%ethanol and proceed with the conventional protocol for tissue dehydration and paraffin embedding. This protocol was successfully used to establish 3D organoids from patient-derived xenograft models of bone metastatic prostate cancer as well as directly from the cancer tissue.The organoids displayed different phenotypes that manifested as cysts, spheroids, and higher complexity organoids. An entire dome of basement membrane and organoids can be seen in a stitched image from 25 high resolution, 10X magnification images. To further investigate the tumor tissue, immunofluorescent cytochemistry was performed on a five micrometer thick paraffin section of organoids targeting the basal epithelial cell marker cytokeratin-5, luminal epithelial cell marker cytokeratin-8 and DAPI.This protocol can be optimized for other applications such as Western blotting, co-culture and flow cytometry to explore characteristics of 3D organoids and the effects of drug treatments. These experiments could address mechanisms of drug resistance and the efficacy of novel therapeutics alone or in combination with current therapies. The 3D organoids from this technique retain inter-subject and intra-subject heterogeneity and therefore are a more accurate model of the disease in patients.This technique paves the way for researchers to explore mechanisms of drug resistance, tumorigenesis, metastasis and therapeutics that may be more predictable of the disease progression in patients and their response to therapy.

Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

Labeling of Breast Cancer Patient-derived Xenografts with Traceable Reporters for Tumor Growth and Metastasis Studies

The use of preclinical models to study tumor biology and response to treatment is central to cancer research. Long-established human cell lines, and many ...

Establishment of a Primary Culture of Patient-derived Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a spectrum of heterogeneous malignancies with a difficult diagnosis, classification, and management. To date, more ...

Isolation and Characterization of Tumor-initiating Cells from Sarcoma Patient-derived Xenografts

The existence and importance of tumor-initiating cells (TICs) have been supported by increasing evidence during the past decade. These TICs have been ...

Three-Dimensional Bone Extracellular Matrix Model for Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common and a highly aggressive primary bone tumor. It is characterized with anatomic and histologic variations along with ...

Establishment of Gastric Cancer Patient-derived Xenograft Models and Primary Cell Lines

The use of preclinical models to advance our understanding of tumor biology and investigate the efficacy of therapeutic agents is key to cancer research. ...

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts

We present here an integrative approach for testing efficacy of targeted therapies that combines the next generation sequencing technolo-gies, therapeutic ...

Enhanced Viability for Ex vivo 3D Hydrogel Cultures of Patient-Derived Xenografts in a Perfused Microfluidic Platform

Patient-derived xenografts (PDX), generated when resected patient tumor tissue is engrafted directly into immunocompromised mice, remain biologically ...

Drug Screening of Primary Patient Derived Tumor Xenografts in Zebrafish

Patient derived xenograft models are critical in defining how different cancers respond to drug treatment in an in vivo system. Mouse models are the ...

The Establishment and Utilization of Patient Derived Xenograft Models of Central Nervous System Metastasis

The development of novel therapies for central nervous system (CNS) metastasis has been hindered by the lack of preclinical models that accurately ...

Generation and Culturing of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoids

Organoids are 3D dynamic tumor models that can be grown successfully from patient-derived ovarian tumor tissue, ascites, or pleural fluid and aid in the ...