title: Tumor spheroid-based migration assays for evaluation of therapeutic agents.
abstract: Cell migration is a key hallmark of malignant cells that contributes to the progression of cancers from a primary, localized mass to an invasive and/or metastatic phenotype. Traditional methods for the evaluation of tumor cell migration in vitro generally employ two-dimensional (2D), homogeneous cultures that do not take into account tumor heterogeneity, three-dimensional (3D) cell-cell contacts between tumor and/or host cells or interactions with extracellular matrix proteins. Here we describe a 3D tumor spheroid-based migration assay which more accurately reflects the solid tumor microenvironment and can accommodate both extracellular matrix and host cell interactions. It is a rapid and highly reproducible 96-well plate-based technique and we demonstrate its utility for the evaluation of therapeutic agents/drugs with anti-migratory properties.
authors: Division of Cancer Therapeutics, McElwain Laboratories, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, UK.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Vinci
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Box
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Zimmermann
authors: Suzanne A
authors: SA
authors: Eccles
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D054443:Cell Migration Assays / Q000379:methods*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin