Project description:Three-Dimensional Organotypic Cultures Reshape the microRNAs Transcriptional Program in Breast Cancer Cells Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have several advantages over conventional monolayer two-dimensional (2D) cultures as they can better mimic tumor biology. This study delineated the changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns of breast cancer cells cultured in 3D and 2D conditions. 3D organotypic cultures showed morphological changes such as cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions associated with a loss of polarity and reorganization on bulk structures in both basal Hs578T and luminal T47D breast cancer cells. Data indicate that down-regulated miRNAs in Hs578T 3D cultures, relative to the 2D condition, contribute to a positive regulation of biological processes such as response to hypoxia and focal adhesion, whereas over-expressed miRNAs were related to negative regulation of the cell cycle. Remarkably, the repro-gramming of miRNAs’ transcriptional profiles was accompanied by changes in the expression of key miRNA/mRNA coregulation networks, such as miR-935/HIF-1A, which correlated with the expression found in clinical breast tumors and predicted poor patient outcomes. These data have implications in our understanding of cancer biology and impact the miRNA/mRNA regulatory axes of cells grown in 3D cultures. Our data represent a guide for novel miRNA candidates for functional analysis, including the response to therapy and biomarker discovery in breast cancer.
Project description:Breast cancer cells reprogram the oncogenic lncRNAs/mRNAs co-expression networks in three- dimensional microenvironment To have a more functional approach, organotypic 3D cell cultures that more accurately mimic the characteristics of solid tumors in vivo and the tumor microenvironment are required. In this study, DNA microarrays were employed to deline the changes in lncRNAs expression patterns of breast cancer cells, cultured in 3D and 2D conditions from BT-474 cell line. Furthermore, potential lncRNAs/mRNAs pairs co-expressed in 3D cultures exhibit a high degree of similarity with those found in luminal B breast cancer patients suggesting that they could be adequate pre-clinical tools to identify, not only biomarkers related to endocrine therapy response and PCR, but to understand the biological behavior of cancer cells in 3D microenvironments, which point towards an important contribution of the roles of lncRNAs in organotypic 3D cultures.
Project description:Background: Newer 3D culturing approaches are a promising way to better mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment and to study the interactions between the heterogeneous cell populations of glioblastoma multiforme. Like many other tumors, glioblastoma uses extracellular vesicles as an intercellular communication system to prepare surrounding tissue for invasive tumor growth. However, little is known about the effects of 3D culture on extracellular vesicles. The aim of this study was to comprehensively characterise extracellular vesicles in 3D organoid models and compare them to conventional 2D cell culture systems.Methods: Primary glioblastoma cells were cultured as 2D and 3D organoid models. Extracellular vesicles were obtained by precipitation and immunoaffinity, with the latter allowing targeted isolation of the CD9/CD63/CD81 vesicle subpopulation. Comprehensive vesicle characterisation was performed and miRNA expression profiles were generated by smallRNA-sequencing. In silico analysis of differentially regulated miRNAs was performed to identify mRNA targets and corresponding signaling pathways. The tumor cell media and extracellular vesicle proteome were analysed by high-resolution mass spectrometry.Results: We observed an increased concentration of extracellular vesicles in 3D organoid cultures. Differential gene expression analysis further revealed the regulation of twelve miRNAs in 3D tumor organoid cultures (with nine miRNAs down and three miRNAs upregulated). MiR-23a-3p, known to be involved in glioblastoma invasion, was significantly increased in 3D. MiR-7-5p, which counteracts glioblastoma malignancy, was significantly decreased. Moreover, we identified four miRNAs (miR- 323a-3p, miR-382-5p, miR-370-3p, miR-134-5p) located within the DLK1-DIO3 domain, a cancer associated genomic region, suggesting a possible importance of this region in glioblastoma progression. Overrepresentation analysis identified alterations of extracellular vesicle cargo in 3D organoids, including representation of several miRNA targets and proteins primarily implicated in the immune response.Conclusion: Our results show that 3D glioblastoma organoid models secrete extracellular vesicles with an altered cargo compared to corresponding conventional 2D cultures. Extracellular vesicles from 3D cultures were found to contain signaling molecules associated with the immune regulatory signaling pathways and as such could potentially change the surrounding microenvironment towards tumor progression and immunosuppressive conditions. These findings suggest the use of 3D glioblastoma models for further clinical biomarker studies as well as investigation of new therapeutic options.
Project description:3D spheroid cultures of primary human hepatocytes (PHH) are used in studies of hepatic drug metabolism and toxicity. However, the 3D spheroids are maintained under different conditions, with possible cofounding results. Here we performed an in-depth analysis of how various culture conditions influence 3D spheroids. Our aim was to find optimal conditions for the maintenance of a normal PHH phenotype.
Project description:Background. Fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSECs) have been implicated as a cell-of-origin for high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer. However, there are relatively few in vitro models of this tissue type available for use in studies of FTSEC biology and malignant transformation. In vitro three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models aim to recreate the architecture and geometry of tissues in vivo and restore the complex network of cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions that occur throughout the surface of the cell membrane. Results. We have established and characterized 3D spheroid culture models of primary FTSECs. FTSEC spheroids contain central cores of hyaline matrix surrounded by mono- or multi-layer epithelial sheets. We found that 3D culturing alters the molecular characteristics of FTSECs compared to 2D cultures of the same cells. Gene expression profiling identified more than a thousand differentially expressed genes between 3D and 2D cultures of the same FTSEC lines. Pathways significantly under-represented in 3D FTSEC cultures were associated with cell cycle progression and DNA replication. This was also reflected in the reduced proliferative indices observed in 3D spheroids stained for the proliferation marker MIB1. Comparisons with gene expression profiles of fresh fallopian tube tissues revealed that 2D FTSEC cultures clustered with follicular phase tubal epithelium, whereas 3D FTSEC cultures clustered with luteal phase samples. Conclusions. This 3D model of fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells will advance our ability to study the underlying biology and etiology of fallopian tube tissues and the pathogenesis of high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer. 3 primary FTSEC lines were plated in 2D, or in 3D on polyHEMA coated plates
Project description:Expression data from HepG2 cultured in 2D monolayer cultures and 3D Matrigel cultures We performed this study to understand differences in gene expression profiles of 2D and 3D HepG2 cultures
Project description:HaCaT, and its three retrovirally c-Ha-ras-transformed subclones, A5, II-4 and RT3 (abbreviated as ras-HaCaTs in the text) that exhibit benign, invasive and malignant phenotypes, respectively, were cultured as 3D monocultures and co-cultures with fibroblasts. After hypotonic lysis of the cells, the insoluble proteins were analysed by LC-MS/MS.