Three-Dimensional Culture Assay to Explore Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Satellite Tumor Formation

Summary

Cancer cells are embedded in a collagen gel and then sandwiched in an acellular fibrin gel to generate a 3D culture system in which the invasiveness and formation of satellite tumors may be monitored.

Abstract

Mammalian cell culture in monolayers is widely used to study various physiological and molecular processes. However, this approach to study growing cells often generates unwanted artifacts. Therefore, cell culture in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, often using extracellular matrix components, emerged as an interesting alternative due to its close similarity to the native in vivo tissue or organ. We developed a 3D cell culture system using two compartments, namely (i) a central compartment containing cancer cells embedded in a collagen gel acting as a pseudo-primary macrospherical tumor and (ii) a peripheral cell-free compartment made of a fibrin gel, i.e. an extracellular matrix component different from that used in the center, in which cancer cells can migrate (invasion front) and/or form microspherical tumors representing secondary or satellite tumors. The formation of satellite tumors in the peripheral compartment is remarkably correlated to the known aggressiveness or metastatic origin of the native tumor cells, which makes this 3D culture system unique. This cell culture approach might be considered to assess cancer cell invasiveness and motility, cell-extracellular matrix interactions and as a method to evaluate anti-cancer drug properties.

Introduction

Investigating the fundamental and biomedical characteristics of cancer cell invasion/migration and subsequent metastasis establishment is the subject of an intense research^1,2. Metastasis is the ultimate stage of cancer and its clinical management remains elusive. A better understanding of metastasis at the cellular and molecular levels will enable the development of more efficient therapies³.

Several properties of metastatic cells can be explored in vitro⁴ including their stemness and potential to acquire a transition state (e.g., epithelioid-mesenchymal transition) to migrate and invade w....

Protocol

NOTE: No ethics consideration since animal and human cancer cells were purchased or kindly provided to us.

1. Making Collagen Plugs (Pseudo-primary Tumor)

1. Prepare a collagen dispersion. Type I collagen from rat tail tendons (RTT) can be either extracted and sterilized as previously reported¹⁷, or purchased. Disperse freeze-dried RTT collagen (3.25-3.50 mg/ml in 0.02 N acetic acid) using a blender (high-speed setting; five 2 min runs) for a uniform mixing.
2. Harvest (trypsin-EDTA, usually) and use trypan blue exclusion for counting viable cells using a hemocytometer. Adjust to the desired cell density (5 x 10⁴ cells per ....

Results

As previously mentioned, an interesting feature of this 3D cell culture assay is that cancer cells can not only migrate from the collagen plug to the adjacent fibrin gel, but also establish secondary tumors (e.g., satellite tumor-like structures). This can be directly observed with an inverted phase contrast microscope at low and high magnifications through the gel thickness, especially with a long working distance condenser (Figure 2). Using this 3D cell culture.......

Discussion

As an important technical footnote, it is essential that no gap is present at the interface between the central and the peripheral gels. Otherwise, it might reduce the capacity of the cells to migrate/invade the fibrin gel. A space between the collagen and the fibrin gels may form during the first 24 hr of culture if thrombin has not been appropriately diluted. It is also possible that the cell line tested might lead the collagen gel to contract during culture, thereby causing a relatively large space to form between bot.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Freeze-dried collagen	Sigma-Aldrich	C7661	from rat tail tendon (soluble dispersion) or home-made (see Rajan et al., ref.#14)
Fibrinogen (freeze-dried)	Sigma-Aldrich	F8630	Type I-S, 65 - 85% protein with ≥ 75% of protein is clottable
Thrombin	EMD Chemicals Inc.	605157	Gibbstown, NJ; NIH units/mg dry weight
Growth factor-reduced Matrigel	Corning	356234	Previously from BD Biosciences
Aprotinin	Sigma-Aldrich	A6279	solution at 5 - 10T IU/ml (Trypsin Inhibitor Unit)
Micro-spoons	Fisher Scientific	2140115	Fisherbrand Handi-Hold Microspatula
96 well plate, round base	Sarstedt	3925500
24 well plate	Sarstedt	3922
Dulbecco's modified Eagle's Medium	Sigma Chemical, Co.	D5546	DMEM
Fetal Bovine Serum	VWR	CAA15-701	FBS, Canadian origin.
Trypsin-EDTA	Sigma Chemical, Co.	T4049
Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution	Sigma Chemical, Co.	H8264	HBSS