A Patient-Derived Scaffold-Based 3D Culture Platform for Head and Neck Cancer: Preserving Tumor Heterogeneity for Personalized Drug Testing.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is highly heterogeneous and difficult to treat, underscoring the need for rapid, patient-specific models. Standard three-dimensional (3D) cultures often lose stromal partners that influence therapy response. We developed a patient-derived system maintaining tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and cells undergoing partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (pEMT) for drug sensitivity testing. Biopsies from four HNC patients were enzymatically dissociated. CAFs were directly cultured, and their conditioned medium (CAF-CM) was collected. Cryopreserved primary tumor cell suspensions were later revived, screened in five different growth media under 2D conditions, and the most heterogeneous cultures were re-embedded in 3D hydrogels with varied gel mixture

SUBMITTER: Anameric A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12524346 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature