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In JoVE (1)
Other Publications (2)
Articles by Alexander D. Leeper in JoVE
JoVE General
Long-term Culture of Human Breast Cancer Specimens and Their Analysis Using Optical Projection Tomography
1Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 2MRC Technology
We have developed a collagen-based in vitro assay which promotes proliferation and invasion from samples of all breast cancer subtypes. Optical Projection Tomography, a three dimensional microscopy technique was utilised to visualise and quantify tumour expansion. This assay may be used to quantify drug response of individual tumour samples.
Other articles by Alexander D. Leeper on PubMed
Determining Tamoxifen Sensitivity Using Primary Breast Cancer Tissue in Collagen-based Three-dimensional Culture
We developed a three-dimensional assay prepared from primary breast cancer tissue and quantified tumor response to tamoxifen therapy. Freshly harvested breast cancer biopsies obtained at the time of curative surgical resection were fragmented and embedded into collagen I cushions. Changes in proliferation, apoptosis and tumor volume in response to tamoxifen treatment were quantified using image analysis software and optical projection tomography. Individual and collective invasion of epithelial cells into the surrounding collagen I was observed over the course of the experiment using phase contrast light microscopy and histopathological methods. Addition of tamoxifen to preparations derived from ER+ tumors demonstrated a range of response as measured by proliferative and apoptotic markers. In keeping with published data, tamoxifen reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells expressing cleaved caspase-3 (p = 0.02, Poisson regression analysis). Tamoxifen also reduced residual epithelial volume in ER+ tumors (p = 0.001, Mann-Whitney test), but not in ER low/- tumors (p = 0.78). Changes in tumor volume, as measured by optical projection tomography, allowed stratification into responsive and non-responsive tumors. The model mirrors observations of breast cancer response and histopathological changes to tamoxifen in neo-adjuvant trials. This assay provides a method of screening a battery of therapeutics against individual cancers, informing subsequent design of neo-adjuvant trials.
