Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay
12:19

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 1, 2015

60.1K

Three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroid invasion assay.

Maria Vinci1, Carol Box2, Suzanne A Eccles2

  • 1Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research; Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research; maria.vinci@icr.ac.uk.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|May 21, 2015
PubMed
Summary

A new 3D tumor spheroid assay simplifies the study of cancer invasion, a key hallmark of malignant tumors. This method aids in developing novel therapies targeting cancer spread and drug resistance.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas and Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A Retrospective Study.

HGG advances·2026
Same author

Characterization of patient-derived site-specific <i>in vivo</i> models of pediatric-type diffuse high-grade glioma using magnetic resonance imaging.

Neuro-oncology advances·2026
Same author

Pediatric high-grade gliomas in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1-A collaborative cohort study from the SIOPE HGG/DIPG working group.

Neuro-oncology practice·2026
Same author

Recapitulating the human myotendinous junction<i>in vitro</i>using a 3D bioprinted model.

Biofabrication·2026
Same author

Adaptation of a small animal radiation research platform for pre-clinical microbeam irradiations.

Medical physics·2025
Same author

Mapping B cells and the immune landscape of tertiary lymphoid structures reveals their clinical impact in neuroblastoma.

Journal for immunotherapy of cancer·2025

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Tumor invasion into surrounding tissues is a critical characteristic of malignant cancers, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality, especially in aggressive forms like glioblastoma multiforme and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
  • Relapsed cancers often exhibit increased aggressiveness, highlighting the need for therapeutic strategies targeting invasion, complementary to existing anti-proliferative treatments.
  • The lack of reliable and reproducible assays for analyzing invasion and screening drugs has hindered the development of anti-invasion therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel, simple micro-plate assay for robust and reproducible analysis of tumor invasion.
  • To demonstrate the utility of this assay platform for drug screening and studying invasion mechanisms in aggressive cancers.
  • To present semi-automated quantification methods compatible with standard laboratory equipment.

More Related Videos

A Cancer Cell Spheroid Assay to Assess Invasion in a 3D Setting
05:34

A Cancer Cell Spheroid Assay to Assess Invasion in a 3D Setting

Published on: November 20, 2015

34.4K
Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay
08:15

Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 7, 2019

16.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay
12:19

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 1, 2015

60.1K
A Cancer Cell Spheroid Assay to Assess Invasion in a 3D Setting
05:34

A Cancer Cell Spheroid Assay to Assess Invasion in a 3D Setting

Published on: November 20, 2015

34.4K
Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay
08:15

Fully Human Tumor-based Matrix in Three-dimensional Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 7, 2019

16.5K

Main Methods:

  • Development of a micro-plate assay utilizing uniform, self-assembling 3D tumor spheroids to model cancer invasion.
  • Application of the assay to human glioblastoma and SCCHN cell lines, including models with acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.
  • Implementation of two semi-automated quantification techniques: one using an imaging cytometer and another employing standard microscopy with digital image analysis.

Main Results:

  • The 3D tumor spheroid assay provides a simple and effective platform for studying cancer cell invasion.
  • The assay successfully modeled invasion in glioblastoma and SCCHN, revealing enhanced matrix invasion in SCCHN models with resistance to EGFR inhibitors.
  • Both imaging cytometry and standard microscopy-based digital image analysis proved effective for semi-automated quantification of invasion.

Conclusions:

  • The developed 3D tumor spheroid micro-plate assay is a valuable tool for advancing the study of cancer invasion and for drug discovery.
  • This assay platform facilitates research into the mechanisms of invasion, particularly in aggressive cancers and in the context of therapeutic resistance.
  • The availability of robust, semi-automated quantification methods enhances the assay's utility for high-throughput screening and detailed mechanistic studies.