Assessing chemotherapeutic effectiveness using a paper-based tumor model.

ABSTRACT: In vitro models for screening new cancer chemotherapeutics often rely on two-dimensional cultures to predict therapeutic potential. Unfortunately, the predictive power of these models is limited, as they fail to recapitulate the complex three-dimensional environments in tumors that promote a chemoresistant phenotype. In this study, we describe the preparation and characterization of paper-based cultures (PBCs) engineered to assess chemotherapeutic effectiveness in three dimensional, diffusion-limited environments. Similar environments are found in poorly vascularized tumors. Monotonic gradients develop across these cultures, which are assembled by stacking cell-laden paper scaffolds to yield thick tissue-like structures, and provide distinct chemical environments for each scaffold. After p

SUBMITTER: Boyce MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5557652 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature