Drug Efficacy Comparison of 3D Forming and Preforming Sphere Models with a Micropillar and Microwell Chip Platform

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biotechnology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
• Current 2D cell culture models lack in vivo relevance for drug efficacy testing.
• Accurate preclinical models are crucial for identifying effective hepatocellular carcinoma treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate advanced 3D in vitro hepatic tumor models.
• To compare drug efficacy screening between 2D and 3D liver cancer models.
• To identify promising drug candidates for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment and drug repositioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a micropillar and microwell chip platform for high-throughput screening.
• Developed 3D forming and preformed sphere models of hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Tested the efficacy of 60 chemotherapeutic agents using both 2D and 3D models.

Main Results:

• 3D preformed sphere models identified 17 drugs (28.3%) with high efficacy, versus 45 drugs (75%) in 2D models.
• Calculated IC50 values for 17 high-efficacy drugs.
• Identified 7 drugs highly sensitive to hepatocellular carcinoma, consistent with prior research.

Conclusions:

• 3D hepatic tumor models offer superior accuracy for drug efficacy screening in hepatocellular carcinoma.
• The developed 3D models facilitate the identification of potent chemotherapeutic agents.
• This approach enhances the selection of effective drugs for liver cancer treatment.