Cancer Cell Spheroids as a 3D Model for Exploring the Pathobiology of Vasculogenic Mimicry

Spheroids are 3D spherical cell aggregates, which, cultivated in vitro, behave differently than regular monolayer cellular cultures. Cancer spheroids share many characteristics with in vivo solid tumors, making them a powerful tool in cancer research. The use of cancer spheroids makes it possible to identify the potential of new anticancer pharmacological targets, leading them to be widely used in preclinical oncology research. 3D in vitro models allow the study in detail of many important aspects of the cellular transformation process, such as cell morphology, gene expression, cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, angiogenesis, and vasculogenic mimicry.In this chapter, the importance of studies using spheroids for current cancer research is described, focusing on vasculogenic mimicry, its morphological structure, and the different methods used in the formation of spheroids. The main method uses agarose to produce the molds for the cancer spheroids, is known as the non-adherent hydrogel micro-mold method, and is being covered in more detail below.