Using Optical Tweezers for the Generation of Hybrid Spheroids

Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture is still among the most commonly used models in preclinical cancer research. However, the three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models appear to assess the in vivo environment more accurately, including a more relevant architectural morphology, microenvironment, and responses to drugs. Optical trapping uses one or more focused laser beams to non-invasively manipulate the position, motion, interaction, and dynamics of structures on nano- and microscale. Optical tweezers (OT) have found numerous applications in cell biology; however, their potential in cancer research is still undervalued. In this paper, we recommend a noninvasive protocol for lymphoma-stromal cell spheroid formation with the use of optical tweezers. This method not only constructs the hybrid spheroids de novo but also enables controlling the number of attached cells and the time of adhesion formation, providing an important source of information for tissue engineering. Furthermore, OT enables the study of the early stages of hybrid spheroid formation, which cannot be achieved with standard bulk techniques. Importantly, the described model can be used to study the minimal changes in adhesion induced by anti-cancer drugs. This protocol can be easily applied to other cell types.