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Updated: May 14, 2026
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Tumor Spheroid Fabrication and Encapsulation in Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogels for Studying Spheroid-Matrix Interactions
Published on: September 22, 2023
Antitumor drug delivery in multicellular spheroids by electropermeabilization
Laure Gibot1, Luc Wasungu, Justin Teissié
1Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale UMR5089, 205 route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse, France.
Summary
Electrochemotherapy (ECT) enhances drug delivery into tumor cells. A 3D tumor spheroid model demonstrated that ECT effectively permeabilizes all cells, leading to tumor destruction and validating the model for optimizing treatments.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biophysics
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Electrochemotherapy (ECT) uses electric pulses to enhance drug uptake in tumor cells.
- Current ECT protocols primarily use bleomycin and cisplatin, with limited permeance.
- Clinical application of ECT is mainly for palliative care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a human 3D multicellular tumor spheroid as a model for assessing ECT effectiveness.
- To investigate the impact of ECT on drug distribution and tumor cell permeabilization within a 3D spheroid.
- To explore the potential of the spheroid model for screening novel ECT drug candidates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a human 3D multicellular tumor spheroid model.
- Applied electrochemotherapy with bleomycin, cisplatin, and doxorubicin.
- Employed confocal microscopy to visualize cell permeabilization within spheroids.
- Assessed spheroid morphology, cell cohesion, growth, and apoptosis.
Main Results:
- ECT efficiently permeabilized all cells within the 3D spheroid, including those in the core.
- Observed significant changes in spheroid morphology and reduced cell cohesion post-ECT.
- Demonstrated tumor spheroid growth arrest and apoptosis-mediated dislocation.
- Validated the efficacy of doxorubicin as a potential ECT drug candidate.
Conclusions:
- The 3D multicellular tumor spheroid model is highly relevant for studying and optimizing electrochemotherapy.
- ECT effectively permeabilizes cells throughout the tumor mass, regardless of location.
- The spheroid model accurately mimics in vivo tumor responses to ECT, including growth arrest and disintegration.
