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Identifying drug resistant cancer cells using microbubble well arrays
Qihui Pu1, Ryan Spooner1, Lisa A DeLouise2,3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
Biomedical Microdevices
|March 31, 2017
Summary
Microbubble well arrays effectively identify and culture drug-resistant cancer cells, including stem cell markers. This technology aids in developing personalized cancer treatment strategies against metastatic disease.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Drug resistance in tumor-initiating cells drives metastatic disease.
- Standard cell culture methods may not adequately support the study of resistant cell populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate microbubble well arrays as a platform for enumerating and characterizing drug-resistant cancer cells.
- To explore the potential of this technology for developing patient-specific treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized microbubble well arrays for culturing a human squamous cell carcinoma line.
- Assessed cell survival, clonal proliferation, sphere formation, and expression of stem cell markers (CD44, CD133).
- Applied the platform to cellularized primary human tumors.
Main Results:
- Microbubble wells supported single-cell survival, clonal proliferation, and sphere formation resistant to cisplatin.
- Formed spheres showed positive staining for CD44 and CD133.
- Spheres were also observed in cultured primary human tumors.
Conclusions:
- Microbubble array technology can enumerate drug-resistant cancer cells and facilitate testing of drug combinations.
- This platform holds promise for designing personalized cancer therapies and understanding metastatic disease mechanisms.