title: Spheroid formation of human thyroid cancer cells in an automated culturing system during the Shenzhou-8 Space mission.
abstract: Human follicular thyroid cancer cells were cultured in Space to investigate the impact of microgravity on 3D growth. For this purpose, we designed and constructed a cell container that can endure enhanced physical forces, is connected to fluid storage chambers, performs media changes and cell harvesting automatically and supports cell viability. The container consists of a cell suspension chamber, two reserve tanks for medium and fixative and a pump for fluid exchange. The selected materials proved durable, non-cytotoxic, and did not inactivate RNAlater. This container was operated automatically during the unmanned Shenzhou-8 Space mission. FTC-133 human follicular thyroid cancer cells were cultured in Space for 10 days. Culture medium was exchanged after 5 days in Space and the cells were fixed after 10 days. The experiment revealed a scaffold-free formation of extraordinary large three-dimensional aggregates by thyroid cancer cells with altered expression of EGF and CTGF genes under real microgravity.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Plastic, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39112 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pietsch
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wehland
authors.forename: Ganna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aleshcheva
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarzwälder
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segerer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birlem
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Infanger
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grimm
mesh_terms: D001577:Benzophenones; D019149:Bioreactors; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007659:Ketones; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011108:Polymers; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013026:Space Flight; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014893:Weightlessness
chemical_list: D001577:Benzophenones; D007659:Ketones; D011108:Polymers; C063834:polyetheretherketone; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: Apoptosis; Biocompatibility; Bioreactor; Growth factors; Polyetheretherketone; Thyroid cancer