Applications and Advances of Multicellular Tumor Spheroids: Challenges in Their Development and Analysis

Author:

Mitrakas Achilleas G.1ORCID,Tsolou Avgi1ORCID,Didaskalou Stylianos1ORCID,Karkaletsou Lito1,Efstathiou Christos1ORCID,Eftalitsidis Evgenios1ORCID,Marmanis Konstantinos1ORCID,Koffa Maria1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece

Abstract

Biomedical research requires both in vitro and in vivo studies in order to explore disease processes or drug interactions. Foundational investigations have been performed at the cellular level using two-dimensional cultures as the gold-standard method since the early 20th century. However, three-dimensional (3D) cultures have emerged as a new tool for tissue modeling over the last few years, bridging the gap between in vitro and animal model studies. Cancer has been a worldwide challenge for the biomedical community due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Various methods have been developed to produce multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs), including scaffold-free and scaffold-based structures, which usually depend on the demands of the cells used and the related biological question. MCTSs are increasingly utilized in studies involving cancer cell metabolism and cell cycle defects. These studies produce massive amounts of data, which demand elaborate and complex tools for thorough analysis. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of several up-to-date methods used to construct MCTSs. In addition, we also present advanced methods for analyzing MCTS features. As MCTSs more closely mimic the in vivo tumor environment, compared to 2D monolayers, they can evolve to be an appealing model for in vitro tumor biology studies.

Funder

InTechThrace: Integrated Technologies in biomedical research: multilevel biomarker analysis in Thrace

Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Spectroscopy,Molecular Biology,General Medicine,Catalysis

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