In the hunt for cancer cures, researchers work with structures known as tumor spheroids. A new method of producing these structures has emerged using simple parts, which could lead to the cheap, reliable generation of these valuable research tools.
In the world of cancer research, creating tumor spheroids that are cultured into full-on cancer tumors is an essential part of testing cancer-fighting drugs and other methods to combat the disease. Having a lab-grown tumor helps replicate what happens inside the body as cancer spreads and gives a more "real world" shot at accurately testing chemotherapy and other treatments.
For example, the cells in the central section of tumors usually experience hypoxia, which means they get less oxygen than the surrounding cells, which makes them better able to resist drugs designed to destroy them. The culture of tumor spheroids can help recreate this situation and arm researchers with better tools to confound it better than if they were experimenting with 2D lab cultures.
According to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston though, current methods of creating tumor spheroids are expensive, time-consuming, and can lead to inconsistent results. To solve this issue, they created what they've termed a "DIY" device from parts costing less than $7, that can pump out 4,000 tumor spheroids per minute.
The device consists of a spray nozzle that shoots out cancer cells suspended in an algae solution. The spray crosses a field in which a simple coin vibration motor – such as the one used by cell phones to alert users to calls even when the sound is off – jiggles the solution, encouraging the sprayed particles to avoid clumping and form into uniform sizes.
Seeing that the method accomplished that goal successfully, the researchers then found that as the spheroids were cultured, they grew into tumors that mimicked the qualities of in vitro tumors, including developing the drug-resistant hypoxic cores. They also responded as expected to chemotherapy interventions.
“We developed a simple, DIY method for reliable preclinical testing of anti-cancer drugs,” said study co-author Hae Lin Jang, of BWH's Center for Engineered Therapeutics. “The cost of devices often acts as a barrier to cancer research. Low-cost, simple-to-operate systems like ours are essential to democratize cancer research and make science more accessible.”
To that end, the research team has made their DIY method available to other scientists through a paper published this week in the journal Device.
"In summary, we anticipate that the step-by-step DIY instruction provided in this study will facilitate the establishment of this simple tool in every cancer biology laboratory," wrote the researchers. "The ease of use and the rapid generation of standardized tumor spheroids can offer a robust platform to test for molecular mechanisms and screen for drugs under conditions that better reflect the pathophysiological setting."
Source: Brigham Clinical & Research News via EurekAlert, Interesting Engineering