title: Three-dimensional cellular spheroid formation provides human prostate tumor cells with tissue-like features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alterations in the cellular biological responses were examined in a series of LNCaP human prostate tumor cells growing under different conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  LNCaP cells were grown in two-dimensional monolayer cultures, three-dimensional spheroids, or as solid tumors in immune-deprived mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with the growth in the monolayers, cell growth in the spheroids was reduced, while VEGF production was increased. Immunohistochemical analysis of the spheroids revealed that cells showing Ki-67 up-regulation were localized in the peripheral layer, and that the central core was necrotic. The gene expression profile in the solid tumor tissue was obviously different from that in the monolayers; however, it was similar to that in the spheroids. The prostate-specific antigen levels in the culture supernatants of spheroids increased with time and decreased with anticancer agent treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spheroid formation from human prostate tumor cells exhibits tissue-like features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathologic Oncology, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan. akimitsu-takagi@yakult.co.jp
authors.forename: Akimitsu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D002166:Camptothecin