Name: three-dimensional culture assay to explore cancer cell invasiveness and satellite tumor formation
Uploaded: 2016-08-18T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Three-Dimensional Culture Assay to Explore Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Satellite Tumor Formation at JoVE.com

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, usu...

<ol>
	<li>Alizadeh, A. M., Shiri, S., Farsinejad, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metastasis+review:+from+bench+to+bedside.">Metastasis review: from bench to bedside.</a> Tumour Biol. 35 (9), 8483-8523 (2014).</li><li>Roudsari, L. C., West, J. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studying+the+influence+of+angiogenesis+in+in+vitro+cancer+model+systems.">Studying the influence of angiogenesis in in vitro cancer model systems.</a> Adv Drug Deliv Rev. , (2016).</li><li>Bill, R., Christofori, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+relevance+of+EMT+in+breast+cancer+metastasis:+Correlation+or+causality.">The relevance of EMT in breast cancer metastasis: Correlation or causality.</a> FEBS Lett. 589 (14), 1577-1587 (2015).</li><li>Kimlin, L. C., Casagrande, G., Virador, V. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+Vitro+Three-Dimensional+(3D)+Models+in+Cancer+Research:+an+Update.">In Vitro Three-Dimensional (3D) Models in Cancer Research: an Update.</a> Mol Carcinog. 52 (3), 167-182 (2013).</li><li>Obenauf, A. C., Massagu&#233;, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surviving+at+a+Distance+Organ-Specific+Metastasis.">Surviving at a Distance Organ-Specific Metastasis.</a> Trends Cancer. 1 (1), 76-91 (2015).</li><li>Sykes, J. A., Fogh, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Separation+of+Tumor+Cells+from+Fibroblasts.">Separation of Tumor Cells from Fibroblasts.</a> Human Tumor Cells In Vitro. 1, 1-22 (1975).</li><li>Lang, S. H., Stark, M., Collins, A., Paul, A. B., Stower, M. J., Maitland, N. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Experimental+Prostate+Epithelial+Morphogenesis+in+Response+to+Stroma+and+Three-Dimensional+Matrigel+Culture.">Experimental Prostate Epithelial Morphogenesis in Response to Stroma and Three-Dimensional Matrigel Culture.</a> Cell Growth Differ. 12 (12), 631-640 (2001).</li><li>Debnath, J., Muthuswamy, S. K., 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=Morphogenesis+and+Oncogenesis+of+MCF-10A+Mammary+Epithelial+Acini+Grown+In+Three-Dimensional+Basement+Membrane+Cultures.">Morphogenesis and Oncogenesis of MCF-10A Mammary Epithelial Acini Grown In Three-Dimensional Basement Membrane Cultures.</a> Methods. 30 (3), 256-268 (2003).</li><li>Shaw, L. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tumor+cell+invasion+assays.">Tumor cell invasion assays.</a> Methods Mol. Biol. 294, 97-105 (2005).</li><li>Nelson, C. M., Bissell, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Modeling+Dynamic+Reciprocity:+Engineering+Three-Dimensional+Culture+Models+of+Breast+Architecture,+Function,+and+Neoplastic+Transformation.">Modeling Dynamic Reciprocity: Engineering Three-Dimensional Culture Models of Breast Architecture, Function, and Neoplastic Transformation.</a> Semin Cancer Biol. 15 (5), 342-352 (2005).</li><li>Hedlund, T. E., Duke, R. C., Miller, G. J. <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+Spheroid+Cultures+of+Human+Prostate+Cancer+Cell+Lines.">Three-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures of Human Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.</a> Prostate. 41 (3), 154-165 (1999).</li><li>Le, V. M., Lang, M. D., Shi, W. B., Liu, J. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Collagen-Based+Multicellular+Tumor+Spheroid+Model+for+Evaluation+of+the+Efficiency+of+Nanoparticle+Drug+Delivery.">A Collagen-Based Multicellular Tumor Spheroid Model for Evaluation of the Efficiency of Nanoparticle Drug Delivery.</a> Artif. Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 15, 1-5 (2014).</li><li>Neto, A. I., 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+Novel+Hanging+Spherical+Drop+System+for+the+Generation+of+Cellular+Spheroids+and+High+Throughput+Combinatorial+Drug+Screening.">A Novel Hanging Spherical Drop System for the Generation of Cellular Spheroids and High Throughput Combinatorial Drug Screening.</a> Biomater Sci. 3 (4), 581-585 (2015).</li><li>Janvier, R., Sourla, A., Koutsilieris, M., Doillon, C. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stromal+Fibroblasts+are+Required+for+PC-3+Human+Prostate+Cancer+Cells+to+Produce+Capillary-like+Formation+of+Endothelial+Cells+in+a+Three-dimensional+Co-culture+System.">Stromal Fibroblasts are Required for PC-3 Human Prostate Cancer Cells to Produce Capillary-like Formation of Endothelial Cells in a Three-dimensional Co-culture System.</a> Anticancer Res. 17 (3A), 1551-1557 (1997).</li><li>Doillon, C. J., Gagnon, E., Paradis, R., Koutsilieris, M. <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+System+as+a+Model+for+Studying+Cancer+Cell+Invasion+Capacity+and+Anticancer+Drug+Sensitivity.">Three-dimensional Culture System as a Model for Studying Cancer Cell Invasion Capacity and Anticancer Drug Sensitivity.</a> Anticancer Res. 24 (4), 2169-2177 (2004).</li><li>Gobeil, S., Zhu, X., Doillon, C. J., Green, M. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Genome-Wide+shRNA+Screen+Identifies+GAS1+as+a+Novel+Melanoma+Metastasis+Suppressor+Gene.">A Genome-Wide shRNA Screen Identifies GAS1 as a Novel Melanoma Metastasis Suppressor Gene.</a> Genes Dev. 22 (21), 2932-2940 (2008).</li><li>Rajan, N., Habermehl, J., Cot&#233;, M. F., Doillon, C. J., Mantovani, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preparation+Of+Ready-To-Use,+Storable+And+Reconstituted+Type+I+Collagen+From+Rat+Tail+Tendon+For+Tissue+Engineering+Applications.">Preparation Of Ready-To-Use, Storable And Reconstituted Type I Collagen From Rat Tail Tendon For Tissue Engineering Applications.</a> Nat Protoc. 1 (6), 2753-2758 (2007).</li><li>Horie, M., 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=Characterization+of+Human+Lung+Cancer-associated+Fibroblasts+in+Three-dimensional+In+Vitro+Co-culture+Model.">Characterization of Human Lung Cancer-associated Fibroblasts in Three-dimensional In Vitro Co-culture Model.</a> Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 423 (1), 158-163 (2012).</li><li>Banyard, 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=Identification+of+Genes+Regulating+Migration+and+Invasion+Using+a+New+Model+of+Metastatic+Prostate+Cancer.">Identification of Genes Regulating Migration and Invasion Using a New Model of Metastatic Prostate Cancer.</a> BMC Cancer. 30 (14), 387 (2014).</li><li>Palumbo, J. S., Degen, J. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fibrinogen+and+Tumor+Cell+Metastasis.">Fibrinogen and Tumor Cell Metastasis.</a> Haemostasis. 31, 11-15 (2001).</li><li>Dvorak, H. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tumor+Stroma,+Tumor+Blood+Vessels,+and+Antiangiogenesis+Therapy.">Tumor Stroma, Tumor Blood Vessels, and Antiangiogenesis Therapy.</a> Cancer J. 21 (4), 237-243 (2015).</li><li>Luoto, K. R., Kumareswaran, R., Bristow, R. 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H., Chia, S. S., Toh, S. L., Goh, J. C., Nathanm, S. S. <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+Spatial+Configuration+of+Tumour+Cells+Confers+Resistance+to+Chemotherapy+Independent+of+Drug+Delivery.">Three-dimensional Spatial Configuration of Tumour Cells Confers Resistance to Chemotherapy Independent of Drug Delivery.</a> J Tissue Eng Regen Med. , (2013).</li><li>Koutsilieris, M., Reyes-Moreno, C., Choki, I., Sourla, A., Doillon, C., Pavlidis, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chemotherapy+Cytotoxicity+of+Human+MCF-7+and+MDA-MB+231+Breast+Cancer+Cells+is+Altered+by+Osteoblast-Derived+Growth+Factors.">Chemotherapy Cytotoxicity of Human MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 Breast Cancer Cells is Altered by Osteoblast-Derived Growth Factors.</a> Mol Med. 5 (2), 86-97 (1999).</li><li>Lang, N. 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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 border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Freeze-dried collagen</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C7661</td>
			<td>from rat tail tendon (soluble dispersion) or home-made (see Rajan et al., ref.#14)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibrinogen (freeze-dried)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich&#160;</td>
			<td>F8630</td>
			<td>Type I-S, 65-85% protein with &#8805;75% of protein is clottable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thrombin</td>
			<td>EMD Chemicals Inc.</td>
			<td>605157</td>
			<td>&#160;Gibbstown, NJ; NIH units/mg dry weight&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Growth factor-reduced Matrigel&#160;</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>356234</td>
			<td>Previously from BD Biosciences</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aprotinin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A6279&#160;</td>
			<td>&#160;solution at 5-10TIU/ml (Trypsin Inhibitor Unit)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;Micro-spoons</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>2140115</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand Handi-Hold Microspatula</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96 well plate, round base</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>3925500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>24 well plate</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>3922</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s modified Eagle&#39;s Medium</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>D5546</td>
			<td>DMEM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>CAA15-701</td>
			<td>FBS, Canadian origin.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>T4049</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hank&#8217;s Balanced Salt Solution&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma Chemical, Co.</td>
			<td>H8264</td>
			<td>HBSS</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

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

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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