Electrospun Polylactic Acid (PLLA) Microtube Array Membrane (MTAM)-An Advanced Substrate for Anticancer Drug...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Personalized cancer treatment requires targeted therapies over broad-spectrum cytotoxic drugs.
• Traditional hollow fiber assay (HFA) systems have limitations in drug sensitivity and testing duration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel microtube array membrane (MTAM) integrated with the NCI's hollow fiber assay (HFA) for enhanced anticancer drug screening.
• To assess the efficacy of the MTAM/HFA system in both in vitro and in vivo settings for personalized medicine applications.

Main Methods:

• Electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) microtube array membranes (MTAM) were fabricated, sterilized, and loaded with cancer cell lines or patient-derived tumor cells (PDTC).
• MTAMs were implanted subcutaneously into BALB/C mice, followed by administration of anticancer drugs.
• Tumor cell viability within retrieved MTAMs was quantified using the MTT assay.

Main Results:

• MTAMs demonstrated excellent suitability as a culture substrate for diverse cancer cell lines and PDTCs.
• The MTAM/HFA system exhibited superior drug sensitivity compared to traditional HFA systems across various anticancer drug classes.
• Testing duration was reduced to under 14 days, yielding outcomes comparable to gold-standard xenograft models.

Conclusions:

• The MTAM/HFA system provides a practical, phenotypic-based solution for rapid and sensitive anticancer drug evaluation.
• This innovative approach holds significant potential for advancing personalized cancer treatment strategies.
• The system's efficiency and effectiveness in both in vitro and in vivo models underscore its value in drug discovery and development.