Name: co-culture of glutamatergic neurons and pediatric high-grade glioma cells into microfluidic devices to assess electrical interactions
Uploaded: 2021-11-17T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions at JoVE.com

This work was supported by grants from Satt Conectus program, Fondation de l&#39;Universit&#233; de Strasbourg, &#171;J&#39;ai demand&#233; la lune&#187;, &#171;Une roulade pour Charline&#187;, &#171;LifePink&#187;, &#171;Franck, Rayon de Soleil&#187; and &#171;Semeurs d&#39;Etoile&#187; associations. We thank the children and families affected by HGGs for their contributions to this research and their support.

For this protocol, the accreditation number related to the use of human materials is DC-2020-4203.
1. Microfluidic device fabrication, preparation and treatment
<ol>
	<li>Fabricate SU-8 molds using conventional photolithography techniques18. 
	NOTE: For this purpose, two photolithography masks have been designed to construct two layers of photoresist structures on silicon wafer substrate and a thin SU-8 2005 photoresist layer (3.2 &#181;m high and 6 &#177; 1 &#18...

<ol>
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This work describes an accurate functional in vitro model to evaluate the interaction between human hiPS-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons and brain tumoral cells in microfluidic devices. One of the crucial steps in the present protocol was the hiPS differentiation in glutamatergic neurons, which was confirmed by the decrease of Nestin and Sox2 immunofluorescent staining and simultaneous appearance of mGluR2 and vGLUT1 staining. Nevertheless, few neural progenitors remained as only half of the glutamatergic...

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) exhibit an extended genotypic and phenotypic diversity depending on patient age, tumor anatomical location and extension, and molecular drivers1. They are aggressive brain tumors that are poorly controlled with the currently available treatment options and are the leading cause of death related to brain cancers in children and adolescents2. So, more than 80% of patients are relapsing within 2 years after their diagnosis, and their median survival is 9-15 months, depending on brain locations and driver mutations. The absence of curative treatment is the primary urge for laboratory research and highlights the immediate need for new innovative therapeutic approaches. For this purpose, patient-derived cell lines (PDCL) were developed with the hope of providing the pHGG diversity3 in two-dimensional (2D) lines and/or three-dimensional (3D) neurospheres. Nevertheless, those patient-derived in vitro cell cultures do not mimic all brain variable situations. These models do not consider the macroscopic and microscopic neuro-anatomical environments typically described in pHGG.
Usually, pHGG in younger children is mainly developing in pontine and thalamic regions, whereas adolescent and young adult&#39;s HGG concentrate in the cortical areas, especially in frontotemporal lobes1. These location-specificities across pediatric ages seem to involve different environments leading to gliomagenesis and an intricating network between tumor cells and specific neuronal activity4,5,6. Although mechanisms are still not identified, pHGG mainly develops from neural precursor cells along the differentiation trajectory of astroglial and oligodendroglial lineages. While the role of these glial lineages has been for long restricted to simple structural support for neurons, it is now clearly established that they integrate entirely into neural circuits and exhibit complex bi-directional glial-neuronal interactions able to reorganize structural regions of the brain and remodel neuronal circuitry4,7,8. Moreover, increasing shreds of evidence indicate that the central nervous system (CNS) plays a critical role in brain cancer initiation and progression. Recent works focused on neuronal activity, which seems to drive growth and mitosis of glial malignancies through secreted growth factors and direct electrochemical synaptic communications6,9. Reciprocally, high-grade glioma cells seem to influence neuronal function with an increasing glutamatergic neuronal activity and modulate the operation of the circuits into which they are structurally and electrically integrated9. So, studies using patient-derived models and novel neuroscience tools controlling neuron action demonstrated a circuit-specific effect of neuronal activity on glioma location, growth, and progression. Most of these neuronal projections involved in gliomas are glutamatergic and communicate through glutamate secretions. Specific glutamatergic biomarkers such as mGluR2 or vGlut1/2 are commonly described6.
Interestingly, despite their molecular heterogeneity, pediatric and adult high-grade gliomas show a typical proliferative response to glutamatergic neuronal activity and other secreted factors such as neuroligin-3 or BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)4,6,10,11,12,13. In cortical regions, pediatric and adult HGGs can induce neuronal hyperexcitability through an increased glutamate secretion and inhibit GABA interneurons leading to gliomas associated with epileptic network activity14,15. On top of that, neural circuits can be remodeled by gliomas pushing specific neurological tasks, for instance, language, and can requisition additional organized neuronal activity9.
Based on this rationale, advancing the understanding of bidirectional communications between glioma cells and neurons must be fully elucidated and integrated with the early stages of in vitro pHGG approaches. Such innovative modeling is crucial in understanding and measuring the neuronal electrical activity impact during drug testing and anticipating pHGG response into brain circuitry. Recent developments in neuroscience tools, such as microfluidic devices and pHGG research works, are the bed to develop new modeling approaches and be able now to integrate brain microenvironment in&#160;in vitro pHGG models3,16,17,18,19. Coupled with electrophysiological recordings using multielectrode arrays (MEA), microfluidic devices20,21,22 offer the possibility to mimic physiological conditions while recording the electrical activity of the entire neural network and extract network connectivity parameters under several conditions. This device23,24 allows first the precise deposition of cells in a chamber directly on MEA. This technology enables the control of cell seeding density and homogeneity on MEA and the fine control of media exchange, which is a critical step for human neural progenitor differentiation directly into devices. Moreover, the present deposition chamber can be seeded with multiple cells at different time points.
So, this study aimed to develop a functional in vitro model co-culturing human Pluripotent Stem (hiPS)-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons and pHGG-derived cells into microfluidic devices and recording their electrical activity to evaluate electrical interactions between both cell populations. First, hiPS-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons were obtained and characterized in microfluidic devices at different stages of culture [day 4 (D4), as hiPS cells, and day 21 (D21) and day 23 (D23), as glutamatergic matured neurons]. For the second step of co-culture, two pHGG models were used: commercialized pediatric UW479 line and pHGG cells initiated from a patient tumor (BT35)3, bearing an H3.3 K27M driver mutation. Finally, we performed electrophysiological recordings of glutamatergic cells at D21 before pHGG cell seeding and D23 after 48 h of co-culture into the same microfluidic device. The interactions between glutamatergic neurons and pHGG cells were characterized by a significant increase in the recorded electrophysiological activity.

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			<td >40 &#181;m probe for Scepter counter&#160;</td>
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			<td >53750</td>
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			<td >60 &#181;m probe for Scepter counter&#160;</td>
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			<td >Accutase</td>
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			<td >Ala -Gln (GlutaMAX)</td>
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			<td >Axel Observer 7 Microscope</td>
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			<td >Cell culture flask with cap with filter membrane 70 mL Falcon&#174;</td>
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			<div>Cortical Glutamatergic Neurons</div>
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			<td >DPBS 1X</td>
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			<td >Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS)</td>
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			<td >GDNF</td>
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			<td >Non filter tip 1 - 200 &#181;l ClearLine&#174; sterile in removable-lid rack&#160;</td>
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			<td >Non-essential amino acids (NEAA) without L-glutamine</td>
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			<td >Scepter (Handheld Automated Cell Counter)</td>
			<td >Millipore</td>
			<td >PHCC00000</td>
			<td ></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >TGF-&#946;1</td>
			<td >Peprotech</td>
			<td >100-21C</td>
			<td ></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Tube with conical bottom 15 mL (bulk) Falcon&#174;&#160;</td>
			<td >Dutscher</td>
			<td >352096</td>
			<td ></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Tube with conical bottom 50 mL (bulk) Falcon&#174;&#160;</td>
			<td >Dutscher</td>
			<td >352070</td>
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co-culture of glutamatergic neurons and pediatric high-grade glioma cells into microfluidic devices to assess electrical interactions

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) represent childhood and adolescent brain cancers that carry a rapid dismal prognosis. Since there is a need to overcome the resistance to current treatments and find a new way of cure, modeling the disease as close as possible in an in vitro setting to test new drugs and therapeutic procedures is highly demanding. Studying their fundamental pathobiological processes, including glutamatergic neuron hyperexcitability, will be a real advance in understanding interactions between the environmental brain and pHGG cells. Therefore, to recreate neurons/pHGG cell interactions, this work shows the development of a functional in vitro model co-culturing human-induced Pluripotent Stem (hiPS)-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons pHGG cells into compartmentalized microfluidic devices and a process to record their electrophysiological modifications. The first step was to differentiate and characterize human glutamatergic neurons. Secondly, the cells were cultured in microfluidic devices with pHGG derived cell lines. Brain microenvironment and neuronal activity were then included in this model to analyze the electrical impact of pHGG cells on these micro-environmental neurons. Electrophysiological recordings are coupled using multielectrode arrays (MEA) to these microfluidic devices to mimic physiological conditions and to record the electrical activity of the entire neural network. A significant increase in neuron excitability was underlined in the presence of tumor cells.

Before studying electrical interactions between glutamatergic neurons and glioma cells, hiPS-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons were characterized to validate the feasibility of culturing them in microfluidic devices (Figure 1A). Their characterization was assessed using Nestin, Sox2, mGlurR2 (metabotropic Glutamate Receptors 2), and vGLUT1 immunostaining, represented in Figure 1A(2-7). As Nestin is an intermediate f...

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Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions

Recent works uncover the neuronal impact on high-grade pediatric glioma (pHGG) cells and their reciprocal interactions. The present work shows the development of an in vitro model co-culturing pHGG cells and glutamatergic neurons and recorded their electrophysiological interactions to mimic those interactivities.

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) represent childhood and adolescent brain cancers that carry a rapid dismal prognosis. Since there is a need to ...

The interactions between the malignant glioma cells and their surrounding neurons are gaining interest. Here, we show the development of an in vitro model co-culturing derived cortical glutamatergic neurons and tumor cells. The microfludic devices used for co-cultures coupled to multielectrode arrays allow the study of different cell types and perform electrical activity recordings at different time points of the cultures.This method is particularly helpful for functional and mechanistic studies and for analyzing the effects of pharmacological agents that block pediatric high-grade glioma cell migration and interaction with neurons. To begin culturing the commercialized human IPS-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons, empty the inlet and outlet reservoirs of the microfluidic device by pipette aspiration, letting only the device channels be filled with medium. Seed the human IPS cells by adding 10 microliters of 6.5 million human IPS cells per milliliter suspension in the medium and let the device be under the hood for 15 minutes to allow cells to attach.After 15 minutes, fill both inlet and outlet reservoirs with 50 microliters of day four culture medium, then transfer the device into the incubator to maintain the cells at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide for 23 days. Replace the medium every three to four days as described in the text. To count the cells and assess viability using a standard phase contrast microscope, take microscopic pictures at 4th day, 21st day and 23rd day.Culture both UW479 and BT35 cell lines in DMEM and F-12 GlutaMAX supplemented with 10%fetal bovine serum in a cell culture flask. Maintain cell culture under a controlled environment at 37 degrees Celsius in normoxic conditions throughout the experiment. Observe each cell line to reach 80%confluency.On day 21 post-culture of glutamatergic neurons, start co-culture by trypsinizing UW479 and BT35 cells. Seed the trypsinized UW479 and BT35 cells on top of the mature adherent glutamatergic neurons in each dedicated microfluidic device. Maintain the co-cultures for two days under a controlled environment at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide with glutamatergic neuron D11 and onward medium.Count pediatric high-grade glioma cells using the microscopic pictures analyzed with the image analysis software to assess their viability and calculate the percentage of cells. Place the MFD in the recording device and use a commercially available software to perform the electrophysiological recording of glutamatergic neurons on the 21st day. Before seeding pediatric high-grade glioma cells, perform a second electrophysiological recording of the differentiated glutamatergic neurons cultured as control parallel to the co-culture.Perform another electrophysiological recording on the 23rd day after two days of the co-culture. Human IPS-derived cortical glutamatergic neurons were characterized and assessed using nestin, SOX2, metabotropic glutamate receptors II, and VGLUT1 immunostaining. Nestin is an intermediate filament protein and it was expressed in undifferentiated CNS cells.SOX2 was also expressed in undifferentiated cells of the neural epithelium in CNS. Nestin and SOX2-positive cells percentage decreased from the fourth day to the 21st day, confirming the differentiated state of glutamatergic neurons. The microscopic images revealed a progressive distribution of glutamatergic neurons across microfluidic devices.When BT35 and UW479 were added to the culture, it was observed that the floating cells were present after glioma cell seeding on the 21st day, which progressively disappeared until the 23rd day and became adherent in the device. The percentages of viable cells for BT35 and UW479 were comparable and implied that patient-derived cell lines could be used appropriately. Spike detection and raster plot on the 23rd day of culture showed increased electrical activity after adding pediatric high-grade glioma cells.To monitor the synchronicity of the neural network activity, the instantaneous firing rate in BT35 or glutamatergic neurons was recorded. The difference in electrical activity between the individually cultured and co-cultured glutamatergic neurons was significant on the 23rd day. Further methodological development may include the functional assessment of the network with burst analysis and special temporal cross-correlations of the network.Now, researchers have a promising tool to explore interactions and pharmacological targeting of pediatric high-grade glioma tumor lines and high PSC neurons. Several tumor lines and several neuron types might be used.

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Cancer Research

Transplantation of Zebrafish Pediatric Brain Tumors into Immune-competent Hosts for Long-term Study of Tumor Cell Behavior and Drug Response

Tumor cell transplantation is an important technique to define the mechanisms controlling cancer cell growth, migration, and host response, as well as to assess potential patient response to therapy. Current methods largely depend on using syngeneic or immune-compromised animals to avoid rejection of the tumor graft. Such methods require the use of specific genetic strains that often prevent the analysis of immune-tumor cell interactions and/or are limited to specific genetic backgrounds. An alternative method in zebrafish takes advantage of an incompletely developed immune system in the embryonic brain before 3 days, where tumor cells are transplanted for use in short-term assays (i.e., 3 to 10 days). However, these methods cause host lethality, which prevents the long-term study of tumor cell behavior and drug response. This protocol describes a simple and efficient method for the long-term orthotopic transplantation of zebrafish brain tumor tissue into the fourth ventricle of a 2-day-old immune-competent zebrafish. This method allows: 1) long-term study of tumor cell behaviors, such as invasion and dissemination; 2) durable tumor response to drugs; and 3) re-transplantation of tumors for the study of tumor evolution and/or the impact of different host genetic backgrounds. In summary, this technique allows cancer researchers to assess engraftment, invasion, and growth at distant sites, as well as to perform chemical screens and cell competition assays over many months. This protocol can be extended to studies of other tumor types and can be used to elucidate mechanisms of chemoresistance and metastasis.

The transplantation of cancer cells is an important tool for the identification of cancer mechanisms and therapeutic responses. Current techniques depend on immune-incompetent animals. Here, we describe a method to transplant zebrafish tumor cells into immune-competent embryos for the long-term analysis of tumor cell behavior and in vivo drug responses.

Tumor cell transplantation is an important technique to define the mechanisms controlling cancer cell growth, migration, and host response, as well as to ...

Comprehensive Protocol to Sample and Process Bone Marrow for Measuring Measurable Residual Disease and Leukemic Stem Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Response criteria in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has recently been re-established, with morphologic examination utilized to determine whether patients have achieved complete remission (CR). Approximately half of the adult patients who entered CR will relapse within 12 months due to the outgrowth of residual AML cells in the bone marrow. The quantitation of these remaining leukemia cells, known as minimal or measurable residual disease (MRD), can be a robust biomarker for the prediction of these relapses. Moreover, retrospective analysis of several studies has shown that the presence of MRD in the bone marrow of AML patients correlates with poor survival. Not only is the total leukemic population, reflected by cells harboring a leukemia associated immune-phenotype (LAIP), associated with clinical outcome, but so is the immature low frequency subpopulation of leukemia stem cells (LSC), both of which can be monitored through flow cytometry MRD or MRD-like approaches. The availability of sensitive assays that enable detection of residual leukemia (stem) cells on the basis of disease-specific or disease-associated features (abnormal molecular markers or aberrant immunophenotypes) have drastically improved MRD assessment in AML. However, given the inherent heterogeneity and complexity of AML as a disease, methods for sampling bone marrow and performing MRD and LSC analysis should be harmonized when possible. In this manuscript we describe a detailed methodology for adequate bone marrow aspirate sampling, transport, sample processing for optimal multi-color flow cytometry assessment, and gating strategies to assess MRD and LSC to aid in therapeutic decision making for AML patients.

Detection of minimal or measurable residual disease (MRD) is an important prognostic biomarker for refining risk assessment and predicting relapse in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These comprehensive guidelines and recommendations with best practices for consistent and accurate identification and detection of MRD, may aid in making effective AML treatment decisions.

Response criteria in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has recently been re-established, with morphologic examination utilized to determine whether patients ...

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Isolation from Pulp Tissue and Co-Culture with Cancer Cells to Study Their Interactions

Cancer as a multistep process and complicated disease is not only regulated by individual cell proliferation and growth but also controlled by tumor environment and cell-cell interactions. Identification of cancer and stem cell interactions, including changes in extracellular environment, physical interactions, and secreted factors, might enable the discovery of new therapy options. We combine known co-culture techniques to create a model system for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cancer cell interactions. In the current study, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and PC-3 prostate cancer cell interactions were examined by direct and indirect co-culture techniques. Condition medium (CM) obtained from DPSCs and 0.4 &#181;m pore sized trans-well membranes were used to study paracrine activity. Co-culture of different cell types together was performed to study direct cell-cell interaction. The results revealed that CM increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis in prostate cancer cell cultures. Both CM and trans-well system increased cell migration capacity of PC-3 cells. Cells stained with different membrane dyes were seeded into the same culture vessels, and DPSCs participated in a self-organized structure with PC-3 cells under this direct co-culture condition. Overall, the results indicated that co-culture techniques could be useful for cancer and MSC interactions as a model system.

We provide protocols for evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from dental pulp and prostate cancer cell interactions based on direct and indirect co-culture methods. Condition medium and trans-well membranes are suitable to analyze indirect paracrine activity. Seeding differentially stained cells together is an appropriate model for direct cell-cell interaction.

Cancer as a multistep process and complicated disease is not only regulated by individual cell proliferation and growth but also controlled by tumor ...

Evaluation of Biomarkers in Glioma by Immunohistochemistry on Paraffin-Embedded 3D Glioma Neurosphere Cultures

Analysis of protein expression in glioma is relevant for several aspects in the study of its pathology. Numerous proteins have been described as biomarkers with applications in diagnosis, prognosis, classification, state of tumor progression, and cell differentiation state. These analyses of biomarkers are also useful to characterize tumor neurospheres (NS) generated from glioma patients and glioma models. Tumor NS provide a valuable in vitro model to assess different features of the tumor from which they are derived and can more accurately mirror glioma biology. Here we describe a detailed method to analyze biomarkers in tumor NS using immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin-embedded tumor NS.

Neurospheres grown as 3D cultures constitute a powerful tool to study glioma biology. Here we present a protocol to perform immunohistochemistry while maintaining the 3D structure of glioma neurospheres through paraffin embedding. This method enables the characterization of glioma neurosphere properties such as stemness and neural differentiation.

Analysis of protein expression in glioma is relevant for several aspects in the study of its pathology. Numerous proteins have been described as ...

Measuring Bone Remodeling and Recreating the Tumor-Bone Microenvironment Using Calvaria Co-culture and Histomorphometry

Bone is a connective tissue constituted of osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts and a mineralized extracellular matrix, which gives it its strength and flexibility and allows it to fulfill its functions. Bone is continuously exposed to a variety of stimuli, which in pathological conditions can deregulate bone remodeling. To study bone biology and diseases and evaluate potential therapeutic agents, it has been necessary to develop in vitro and in vivo models.
This manuscript describes the dissection process and culture conditions of calvarias isolated from neonatal mice to study bone formation and the bone tumor microenvironment. In contrast to in vitro and in vivo models, this ex vivo model allows preservation of the three-dimensional environment of the tissue as well as the cellular diversity of the bone while culturing under defined conditions to simulate the desired microenvironment. Therefore, it is possible to investigate bone remodeling and its mechanisms, as well as the interactions with other cell types, such as the interactions between cancer cells and bone.
The assays reported here use calvarias from 5-7 day old BALB/C mice. The hemi-calvarias obtained are cultured in the presence of insulin, breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), or conditioned medium from breast cancer cell cultures. After analysis, it was established that insulin induced new bone formation, while cancer cells and their conditioned medium induced bone resorption. The calvarial model has been successfully used in basic and applied research to study bone development and cancer-induced bone diseases. Overall, it is an excellent option for an easy, informative, and low-cost assay.

The ex vivo culture of bone explants can be a valuable tool for the study of bone physiology and the potential evaluation of drugs in bone remodeling and bone diseases. The presented protocol describes the preparation and culture of calvarias isolated from newborn mice skulls, as well as its applications.

Bone is a connective tissue constituted of osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts and a mineralized extracellular matrix, which gives it its strength ...

Co-culture of Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells on Patterned Neurons to Study Migration and Cellular Interactions

Glioblastomas (GBMs), grade IV malignant gliomas, are one of the deadliest types of human cancer because of their aggressive characteristics. Despite significant advances in the genetics of these tumors, how GBM cells invade the healthy brain parenchyma is not well understood. Notably, it has been shown that GBM cells invade the peritumoral space via different routes; the main interest of this paper is the route along white matter tracts (WMTs). The interactions of tumor cells with the peritumoral nervous cell components are not well characterized. Herein, a method has been described that evaluates the impact of neurons on GBM cell invasion. This paper presents an advanced co-culture in vitro assay that mimics WMT invasion by analyzing the migration of GBM stem-like cells on neurons. The behavior of GBM cells in the presence of neurons is monitored by using an automated tracking procedure with open-source and free-access software. This method is useful for many applications, in particular, for functional and mechanistic studies as well as for analyzing the effects of pharmacological agents that can block GBM cell migration on neurons.

Here, we present an easy-to-use co-culture assay to analyze glioblastoma (GBM) migration on patterned neurons. We developed a macro in FiJi software for easy quantification of GBM cell migration on neurons, and observed that neurons modify GBM cell invasive capacity.

Glioblastomas (GBMs), grade IV malignant gliomas, are one of the deadliest types of human cancer because of their aggressive characteristics. Despite ...

A Rapid Screening Workflow to Identify Potential Combination Therapy for GBM using Patient-Derived Glioma Stem Cells

The glioma stem cells (GSCs) are a small fraction of cancer cells which play essential roles in tumor initiation, angiogenesis, and drug resistance in glioblastoma (GBM), the most prevalent and devastating primary brain tumor. The presence of GSCs makes the GBM very refractory to most of individual targeted agents, so high-throughput screening methods are required to identify potential effective combination therapeutics. The protocol describes a simple workflow to enable rapid screening for potential combination therapy with synergistic interaction. The general steps of this workflow consist of establishing luciferase-tagged GSCs, preparing matrigel coated plates, combination drug screening, analyzing, and validating the results.

The glioma stem cells (GSCs) are a small fraction of cancer cells which play essential roles in tumor initiation, angiogenesis, and drug resistance in ...

Live-3D-Cell Immunocytochemistry Assays of Pediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma

Cell migration and invasion are specific hallmarks of Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) H3K27M-mutant tumors. We have already modeled these features using three-dimensional (3D) cell-based invasion and migration assays. In this study, we have optimized these 3D assays for live-cell immunocytochemistry. An Antibody Labeling Reagent was used to detect in real-time the expression of the adhesion molecule CD44, on the plasma membrane of migrating and invading cells of a DMG H3K27M primary patient-derived cell line. CD44 is associated with cancer stem cell phenotype and tumor cell migration and invasion and is involved in the direct interactions with the central nervous system (CNS) extracellular matrix. Neurospheres (NS) from the DMG H3K27M cell line were embedded into the basal membrane matrix (BMM) or placed onto a thin coating layer of BMM, in the presence of an anti-CD44 antibody in conjunction with the antibody labeling reagent (ALR). The live-3D-cell immunocytochemistry image analysis was performed on a live-cell analysis instrument to quantitatively measure the overall CD44 expression, specifically on the migrating and invading cells. The method also allows visualizing in real-time the intermittent expression of CD44 on the plasma membrane of migrating and invading cells. Moreover, the assay also provided new insights into the potential role of CD44 in the mesenchymal to amoeboid transition in DMG H3K27M cells.

This study presents a protocol of live-3D-cell immunocytochemistry applied to a pediatric diffuse midline glioma cell line, useful to study in real-time the expression of proteins on the plasma membrane during dynamic processes like 3D cell invasion and migration.

Cell migration and invasion are specific hallmarks of Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) H3K27M-mutant tumors. We have already modeled these features using ...

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 discovery of novel therapeutics and predictive biomarkers for ovarian cancer. These models recapitulate clonal heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Additionally, they have been shown to match the primary tumor morphologically, cytologically, immunohistochemically, and genetically. Thus, organoids facilitate research on tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment and are superior to cell lines. The present protocol describes distinct methods to generate patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids from patient tumors, ascites, and pleural fluid samples with a higher than 97% success rate. The patient samples are separated into cellular suspensions by both mechanical and enzymatic digestion. The cells are then plated utilizing a basement membrane extract (BME) and are supported with optimized growth media containing supplements specific to the culturing of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). After forming initial organoids, the PDOs can sustain long-term culture, including passaging for expansion for subsequent experiments.

Patient-derived organoids (PDO) are a three-dimensional (3D) culture that can mimic the tumor environment in vitro. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, PDOs represent a model to study novel biomarkers and therapeutics.

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 ...

Quantifying Telomere Length Using Non-Radioactive Chemiluminescence Detection

Optimization of Performance Parameters of the TAGGG Telomere Length Assay

Telomeres are repetitive sequences which are present at chromosomal ends; their shortening is a characteristic feature of human somatic cells. Shortening occurs due to a problem with end replication and the absence of the telomerase enzyme, which is responsible for maintaining telomere length. Interestingly, telomeres also shorten in response to various internal physiological processes, like oxidative stress and inflammation, which may be impacted due to extracellular agents like pollutants, infectious agents, nutrients, or radiation. Thus, telomere length serves as an excellent biomarker of aging and various physiological health parameters. The TAGGG telomere length assay kit is used to quantify average telomere lengths using the telomere restriction fragment (TRF) assay and is highly reproducible. However, it is an expensive method, and because of this, it is not employed routinely for large sample numbers. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for an optimized and cost-effective measurement of telomere length using Southern blots or TRF analysis and non-radioactive chemiluminescence-based detection.

Author Spotlight: Optimization of Performance Parameters of the TAGGG Telomere Length Assay  

Here, we describe in detail the protocol for quantifying telomere length using non-radioactive chemiluminescent detection, with a focus on the optimization of various performance parameters of the TAGGG telomere length assay kit, such as buffer quantities and probe concentrations.

Telomeres are repetitive sequences which are present at chromosomal ends; their shortening is a characteristic feature of human somatic cells. Shortening ...