Head and Neck Cancer Stem Cell-Enriched Spheroid Model for Anticancer Compound Screening

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Stem Cell Biology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor recurrence due to chemoresistance.
• Effective high-throughput screening (HTS) models are crucial for identifying anti-CSC compounds.
• Existing models may not be optimal for CSC-enriched screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel CSC-enriched spheroid model for HTS of anti-CSC compounds.
• To establish a model suitable for head and neck cancers.
• To facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies against CSCs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized FaDu cells in ultra-low adherent (ULA) microplates with stem medium to form spheroids.
• Characterized spheroid stemness via qRT-PCR and protein analysis of stem markers.
• Assessed proliferation patterns using confocal microscopy and validated model sensitivity with ATRA treatment.

Main Results:

• The developed spheroid model (SCESM) showed significantly increased stem marker expression compared to adherent cells and MCTS models.
• Proliferation was localized to the spheroid periphery, indicating stem cell enrichment.
• ATRA treatment effectively reduced stem marker expression, confirming model responsiveness.

Conclusions:

• The SCESM is a simple, HTS-compatible model for identifying anti-CSC compounds.
• This model enhances the screening of potential therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells.
• The SCESM offers a promising platform for developing new treatments to prevent tumor recurrence.