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Autophagy in 3D In Vitro and Ex Vivo Cancer Models
Carlo Follo1, Dario Barbone2, William G Richards3
1Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Carlo.Follo@ucsf.edu.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|January 6, 2019
Summary
Three-dimensional (3D) cancer models better represent tumor microenvironments and autophagy compared to 2D cultures. This study details methods for generating and analyzing autophagy in these advanced 3D models.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models are increasingly vital in cancer research.
- They offer a more accurate representation of the tumor microenvironment than traditional 2D cultures.
- Evidence suggests autophagy, a key cellular process, is also better modeled in 3D.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the generation of 3D cancer models.
- To explain methods for measuring autophagy within these 3D models.
- To highlight the advantages of 3D models for studying tumor biology.
Main Methods:
- Generation of in vitro multicellular spheroids from cancer cell lines.
- Generation of ex vivo tumor fragment spheroids from patient tumor samples.
- Detailed protocols for quantifying autophagy in 3D culture systems.
Main Results:
- Successful establishment of both cell line-derived and patient-derived 3D spheroid models.
- Demonstration of reliable methods for autophagy measurement in these complex 3D structures.
- Comparative data indicating improved autophagy representation in 3D versus 2D cultures.
Conclusions:
- 3D cancer models provide a superior platform for studying the tumor microenvironment.
- Autophagy research in solid tumors benefits significantly from the use of 3D culture systems.
- The described methods facilitate advanced investigation into cancer biology using 3D models.
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