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Microfluidic Co-Culture Models for Dissecting the Immune Response in in vitro Tumor Microenvironments
Published on: April 30, 2021
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An integrated framework for quantifying immune-tumour interactions in a 3D co-culture model
Gheed Al-Hity1, FengWei Yang2, Eduard Campillo-Funollet3
1School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular sciences, University of Brighton, Centre for Stress and Age-related Diseases, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2, 4GJ, UK.
Communications Biology
|June 25, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel co-culture platform for analyzing tumor-immune interactions, offering a new screening tool for immunotherapy development. The model accurately reflects in vivo stress effects on cancer growth and immune response.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cancer Biology
- In vitro modeling
Background:
- Limited in vitro models exist to study complex tumor-immune interactions.
- Developing robust models is crucial for advancing cancer research and immunotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel platform for studying tumor-immune interactions using cancer spheroids and immune cells.
- To quantitatively analyze immune cell infiltration, spheroid roundness, and growth.
- To validate the model's efficacy using cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor antagonists.
Main Methods:
- Co-culture of cancer spheroids with activated immune cells.
- Development of an algorithm for quantitative analysis of confocal images.
- Assessment of immune cell infiltration, spheroid roundness, and growth.
- Testing the effects of cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor antagonists.
Main Results:
- The co-culture model successfully quantified tumor-immune interplay.
- Results mirrored findings from in vivo stress models.
- Glucocorticoid receptor antagonists demonstrated the model's utility in evaluating treatment effects.
Conclusions:
- A validated method for quantifying cancer-immune system interactions is presented.
- This platform can serve as a screening tool for immunotherapy design.
- The model offers a more complex and relevant in vitro approach to cancer research.
