Applicability of tumor spheroids for in vitro chemosensitivity assays

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Drug Discovery
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) cancer cell cultures are limited in predicting drug efficacy.
• Three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) offer a more physiologically relevant model for cancer research.
• The predictive accuracy of MCTSs varies based on cell source, preparation, and spheroid characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the preparation of MCTSs for drug screening.
• To compare MCTSs derived from permanent cell lines versus patient-derived cells.
• To evaluate the correlation between MCTS chemosensitivity and clinical responses.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of MCTS preparation techniques.
• Comparison of spheroid properties (physical, gene expression, chemosensitivity) between 2D and 3D cultures.
• Analysis of spheroids formed in vivo from patient samples (pleural effusion, blood).

Main Results:

• Cell lines forming dense spheroids exhibit distinct properties compared to 2D cultures.
• Most current MCTS models lack the complexity of actual tumor tissues.
• Patient-derived spheroids from bodily fluids (circulating tumor cells) closely resemble patient tumors.

Conclusions:

• 3D tumor models are crucial for enhancing drug screening predictive power in clinical trials.
• Patient-derived tumor spheres from pleural effusions or blood represent the most promising MCTS models for drug screening.
• Further validation is needed for MCTS models to ensure their adequacy in selecting clinically effective drugs.