High-throughput 3D spheroid culture and drug testing using a 384 hanging drop array.
Culture of cells as three-dimensional (3D) aggregates can enhance in vitro tests for basic biological research as well as for therapeutics development. Such 3D culture models, however, are often more complicated, cumbersome, and expensive than two-dimensional (2D) cultures. This paper describes a 384-well format hanging drop culture plate that makes spheroid formation, culture, and subsequent drug testing on the obtained 3D cellular constructs as straightforward to perform and adapt to existing high-throughput screening (HTS) instruments as conventional 2D cultures. Using this platform, we show that drugs with different modes of action produce distinct responses in the physiological 3D cell spheroids compared to conventional 2D cell monolayers. Specifically, the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has higher anti-proliferative effects on 2D cultures whereas the hypoxia activated drug commonly referred to as tirapazamine (TPZ) are more effective against 3D cultures. The multiplexed 3D hanging drop culture and testing plate provides an efficient way to obtain biological insights that are often lost in 2D platforms.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Yi-Chung
YC
Tung
Amy Y
AY
Hsiao
Steven G
SG
Allen
Yu-suke
YS
Torisawa
Mitchell
M
Ho
Shuichi
S
Takayama
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents