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Cancer in 3D
3D Tumoroids provide an accurate in-vitro model of the tumor and tumor microenvironment while recapitulating the unique genetic, phenotypic and structural characteristics of in vivo tumors.
Applications
Microphysiological Model for Cancer Research
Study the critical characteristics of cancer involved in growth, metastasis and drug resistance.
Vascularization
Immune Microenvironment Modelling
Tumor-Stroma Cross-Talk
Molecular Pathways
Biomarker Discovery
Hypoxia
Test Anti-Cancer Therapeutics
Gain more information about anti-tumor efficacy by testing new and repurposed therapeutics on real tumors.
Chemotherapies
Immunotherapies
Nanomedicines
Angiogenesis Inhibitors
Combination Therapy
WHY 3D?
2D cell cultures have been the industry standard since the early 1900s [1], despite significant limitations. Simply put, 2D cell cultures are not an accurate representation of in vivo tissue because cells do not exist in 2D planes within the human body.
In the last decade 3D cell culture has become an increasingly popular research tool used for modelling cancer. When grown in 3D, tumor cells are no longer restricted to growing within a monolayer, and can begin to adhere to each other and the extracellular matrix, mimicking the native microenvironment from which the cells originated. Gene expression profiles of tumor cells from 3D cultures more accurately reflect clinical expression profiles than those observed in 2D cultures [2]. There is also increased cell-cell and cell-matrix communication, proliferation differences, increased survival rates and relevant pH, nutrient and oxygen gradients [1,2].
TUMOROIDS
Co-culture:
Stable
Testing
Assays
Our platforms are practical for the co-culturing of various components of the tumor stroma and elements of the immune system.
Tumoroids maintain the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of parental tissues indefinitely in culture and after cryopreservation.
Our platforms are perfect for creating uniform, reproducible tumoroids that can be expanded for large-scale screens.
Our tumoroids are amenable to a wide range of assays, making them suitable to a variety of experiments.
Predictive
3D tumor models have been shown to be predictive of actual patient response to treatment.
How do our tumoroids stack up against alternatives?
2D Culture
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Limited cell-cell and cell-matrix communication.
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Increased drug sensitivity that leads to exagerrated efficacy.
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Gene and protein expression levels that are unrepresentative of in vivo conditions.
Bioprinting
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Slow and difficult to use for high throughput analysis.
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Bioinks are a limiting factor for model complexity.
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High upfront investment and bioink costs.
Rodent Models
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Inherently non-reproducible.
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Limited in their ability to represent human in vivo characteristics.
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Difficult and time consuming to establish.
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Expensive.
Organs on-a-chip
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Not amenable to high throughput.
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Closed well system makes post-experimental analysis difficult.
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External pumps and flow monitors required.
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Drugs are absorbed by the plastic material.
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Representative of in vivo conditions.
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Reproducible. Apricell tumoroids have low density and volume variance, allowing for much greater experimental reproducibility.
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Amenable to high content screening and medium throughput screening.
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Well suited for analysis. Optically clear hydrogel material enables real time visualization and is directly embeddable in paraffin for IHC and H&E analysis.
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Highly versatile. Users have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of disease types, cell types, ECM's and experimental setups.
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Cost effective.
1.
Jensen, C., & Teng, Y. (1AD, January 1). Is it time to start transitioning from 2D to 3D cell culture? Frontiers. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2020.00033/fulldocuments/technical-article/cell-culture-and-cell-culture-analysis/3d-cell-culture/5-reasons-cancer-researchers-adopt-3d-cell-culture-white-paper
2.
Sigma Aldrich. (n.d.). 5 reasons cancer researchers adopt 3D Cell culture: A review of recent literature. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/CA/en/technical-documents/technical-article/cell-culture-and-cell-culture-analysis/3d-cell-culture/5-reasons-cancer-researchers-adopt-3d-cell-culture-white-paper