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Establishing 3-Dimensional Spheroids from Patient-Derived Tumor Samples and Evaluating their Sensitivity to Drugs
Published on: December 16, 2022
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Quantitative bioimaging of platinum group elements in tumor spheroids
Ann-Christin Niehoff1, Jonas Grünebaum2, Aline Moosmann3
1Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Münster, Corrensstr. 30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Analytica Chimica Acta
|September 14, 2016
Summary
This study presents a new bioimaging method to track drug penetration in tumors using laser ablation coupled to ICP-MS. The technique successfully quantified platinum and palladium drug distribution within tumor spheroids for better cancer therapy development.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Limited drug penetration into tumor tissue hinders effective cancer therapy.
- Tumor spheroids offer a 3D cell culture model for studying drug penetration in pharmaceutical development.
- Quantitative bioimaging is crucial for understanding drug distribution and accumulation in complex biological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a quantitative bioimaging method for analyzing platinum group elements in biological samples.
- To investigate the penetration and distribution of platinum-based drugs and a palladium-tagged photosensitizer within tumor spheroids.
- To enhance pharmaceutical development by providing high-resolution drug distribution data.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative bioimaging using laser ablation (LA) coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
- Development of a method using matrix-matched standards for accurate quantification.
- Incubation of tumor spheroids with platinum complexes (Pt(II)acetylacetonate, cisplatin) and a palladium-tagged photosensitizer (mTHPP).
Main Results:
- A quantitative LA-ICP-MS method with high spatial resolution was successfully developed.
- The method allowed for the determination of the distribution and accumulation of platinum and palladium compounds within tumor spheroids.
- Demonstrated the capability to visualize drug penetration at a cellular level.
Conclusions:
- The developed quantitative LA-ICP-MS method is effective for bioimaging drug penetration in 3D tumor models.
- This technique provides valuable insights into drug distribution, aiding in the optimization of cancer therapeutics.
- The study highlights the potential of advanced bioimaging for pharmaceutical research and development.

