3D hydrogel breast cancer models for studying the effects of hypoxia on epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

ABSTRACT: Solid tumors are 3D assemblies of cancer cells, together with multiple stromal cell types within an extracellular matrix. Yet, the vast majority of cell-based studies to characterize oncogenesis and discovery of new anti-cancer drugs is conducted using conventional 2D monolayer culture systems, where cells are grown on plastic substratum under normoxic environments. In current study, we generated 3D breast cancer cell culture platform consists of photocrosslinkable hydrogels and encapsulated isogenic primary (21PT) and a metastatic (21MT-2) breast cancer cell lines derived from the primary tumor and pleural effusion from the same patient. We demonstrated that hypoxia decreased cellular assembly size and density, and promoted epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, without affec

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6114943 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature