Colorectal Cancer Bioengineered Microtissues as a Model to Replicate Tumor-ECM Crosstalk and Assess Drug Delivery Systems In Vitro.

ABSTRACT: Current 3D cancer models (in vitro) fail to reproduce complex cancer cell extracellular matrices (ECMs) and the interrelationships occurring (in vivo) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we propose 3D in vitro colorectal cancer microtissues (3D CRC μTs), which reproduce the TME more faithfully in vitro. Normal human fibroblasts were seeded onto porous biodegradable gelatin microbeads (GPMs) and were continuously induced to synthesize and assemble their own ECMs (3D Stroma μTs) in a spinner flask bioreactor. Then, human colon cancer cells were dynamically seeded onto the 3D Stroma μTs to achieve the 3D CRC μTs. Morphological characterization of the 3D CRC μTs was performed to assess the presence of different complex macromolecular components that feature in vivo in the ECM. The res

SUBMITTER: La Rocca A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10059762 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature