Three Dimensional Mixed-Cell Spheroids Mimic Stroma-Mediated Chemoresistance and Invasive Migration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Interactions between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment (TME) play an important role in promoting the profibrotic microenvironment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), resulting in tumor progression and drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we developed a mixed-cell spheroid model using Huh-7 HCC cells and LX-2 stellate cells to simulate the in vivo tumor environment with respect to tumor-CAF interactions. Spheroids were cultured from cancer cells alone (monospheroids) or as a mixture (mixed-cell spheroids) in ultra-low-attachment plates. Compact, well-mixed, and stroma-rich mixed-cell spheroids were successfully established with heterotypic cell-cell contacts shown by the presence of gap juncti

SUBMITTER: Khawar IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6034588 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature