Dataset Information

Tunable three-dimensional engineered prostate cancer tissues for in vitro recapitulation of heterogeneous in vivo prostate tumor stiffness

ABSTRACT: In this study we report the establishment and characterization of a three-dimensional in vitro, coculture engineered prostate cancer tissue (EPCaT) disease model based upon and informed by our characterization of in vivo prostate cancer (PCa) xenograft tumor stiffness. In prostate cancer, tissue stiffness is known to impact changes in gene and protein expression, alter therapeutic response, and be positively correlated with an aggressive clinical presentation. To inform an appropriate stiffness range for our in vitro model, PC-3 prostate tumor xenografts were established. Tissue stiffness ranged from 95 to 6,750 Pa. Notably, xenograft cell seeding density significantly impacted tumor stiffness; a two-fold increase in the number of seeded cells not only widened the tissue stiffness range throughout the tumor, but also resulted in significant spatial heterogeneity. To fabricate our in vitro EPCaT model, PC-3 castration-resistant prostate cancer cells were co-encapsulated with BJ-5ta fibroblasts within a poly(ethylene glycol)-fibrinogen matrix augmented with excess poly(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate to modulate the matrix mechanical properties. Encapsulated cells temporally remodeled their in vitro microenvironment and enrichment of gene sets associated with tumorigenic progression was observed in response to increased matrix stiffness. Through variation of matrix composition and culture duration, EPCaTs were tuned to mimic the wide range of biomechanical cues provided to PCa cells in vivo; collectively, a range of 50 to 10,000 Pa was achievable. Markedly, this also encompasses published clinical PCa stiffness data. Overall, this study serves to introduce our bioinspired, tunable EPCaT model and provide the foundation for future PCa progression and drug development studies.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE203495 | GEO | 2022/05/24

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:In vitro cultures of primary cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), the major extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing cells of the heart, are used to determine molecular mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis. However, the supraphysiologic stiffness of tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) automatically triggers the conversion of CFs into an activated myofibroblast-like state, and serial passage of the cells results in the induction of replicative senescence. These dramatic phenotypic switches confound interpretation of experimental data obtained with cultured CFs. In an attempt to circumvent TCPS-induced activation and senescence of CFs, we utilized poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels as cell culture platforms with low and high stiffness formulations to mimic healthy and fibrotic cardiac ECM, respectively. As hypothesized, low hydrogel stiffness converted activated CFs into a quiescent state with reduced abundance of a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA)-containing stress fibers. Unexpectedly, lower substrate stiffness concomitantly augmented CF senescence, marked by elevated senescence-associated b-galactosidase (SA-b-Gal) activity and increased expression of p16 and p21, which are cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors and markers of senescence. Using dynamically stiffening hydrogels with phototunable crosslinking capabilities, we demonstrate that substrate-induced CF senescence is partially reversible. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed widespread transcriptional reprogramming of CFs cultured on low stiffness hydrogels, with a dramatic reduction in the expression of profibrotic genes encoding ECM proteins, and an attendant increase in expression of NF-kB-responsive inflammatory genes that typify the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Our findings further demonstrate that alterations in matrix stiffness profoundly impact CF cell state transitions, and suggest mechanisms by which CFs change phenotype in vivo depending on the stiffness of the myocardial microenvironment to which they are exposed.

Project description:INTRODUCTION: Amphiphilic copolymer nanoparticle-encapsulated multi-target chemotherapeutic drugs have attracted considerable attention due to their favorable drug efficiency and potential application prospect. Studies have shown that an amphiphilic copolymer, methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) modified with e-polylysine, and encapsulated with hydrophilic doxorubicin, hydrophobic paclitaxel and survivin siRNA profoundly improved the therapeutic effect both in vitro and in vivo.</br>OBJECTIVES: To investigate how MCF-7 cells would response to the exposure of these nanoparticles over with time and assess the biological effects of these nanoparticles and their encapsulated drugs in a holistic manner.</br>METHODS: MCF-7 cells were treated with PBS, nanocarrier and three encapsulated drugs, respectively. Metabolic alterations associated with nano-drugs exposure were investigated by performing untargeted NMR metabolomics with combination of targeted fatty acids analysis by GC-MS on cell extracts. Altered metabolic pathways were further validated by qRT-PCR approach.</br>RESULTS: Copolymers showed great biocompatibility with cells as it induced transit metabolic disruptions without affecting cell survival rate. The rapid release of encapsulated doxorubicin resulted in inhibition of glycolysis and DNA synthesis, active proteolysis; these metabolic alternations were recovered after 10 h exposure. However, the combination use of multiple drugs consistently induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis evidenced by reduction in glycolysis, active proteolysis, stimulated O-GlcNAcylation, reduced the PC:GPC ratio and fatty acids accumulation. Prolonged exposure to encapsulated-multiple-drugs also induced oxidative stress to cells.</br>CONCLUSION: These findings provide important insight into the biological effects of nanoparticles and their encapsulated drugs while demonstrate that metabolomics is a powerful approach to evaluate the biological effects of nano-drugs.

Project description:This experiment was conducted to test multiple hypotheses: 1) long-wave 365 nm UV light exposure at low fluences does not alter gene expression of hMSC, 2) presence of radical species during polymerization causes DNA damage in hMSC, 3) 3D encapsulation of hMSC causes changes in gene expression of hMSC compared with traditional 2D culture, 4) Differencesin 3D hydrogel networks induce gene expression changes in hMSC The first publication derived from this data set concerns UV exposure and reactive radical species. Light is a non-invasive tool that is widely used in a range of biomedical applications. Techniques such as photopolymerization, photodegradation and photouncaging can be used to alter the chemical and physical properties of biomaterials in the presence of live cells. Long-wave UV light is an easily accessible and commonly used wavelength. Although exposure to low doses of long-wave UV light is generally accepted as biocompatible, most studies only investigate cell viability, ignoring other possible non-toxic effects. Since light exposure could potentially induce phenotypic changes (i.e. if damage repair mechanisms are activated), we examined changes in gene expression of human mesenchymal stem cells exposed to light under various 2D and 3D culture conditions. While exposure to long-wave UV light did not induce any significant changes in gene expression regardless of culture conditions, significant changes were observed due to scaffold fabrication chemistry and between cells plated in 2D versus 3D scaffolds. In total, 24 samples were analyzed. Three different culture conditions were created: 2D(plated), 3DR (encapsulated, radical polymerization), and 3DC (encapsulated, conjugate addition). Each culture condition was further subjected to UV radiation or no UV radiation, for 6 total experimental groups. Each experimental group was performed in triplicate. The 2D experimental groups, with and without UV, were additionally performed twice, once simultaneously with the 3DR samples, and once simultaneously with the 3DC samples. 3DR: encapsulated cells using radical polymerization (APS/TEMED) in a poly(ethylene glycol) (MW=4,000 g/mol) hydrogel in PBS. 3DC: encapsulated cells using conjugate addition with a four-arm PEG-Thiol (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) ) as the cross-linker in PBS.

Dataset Information

Tunable three-dimensional engineered prostate cancer tissues for in vitro recapitulation of heterogeneous in vivo prostate tumor stiffness

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure