title: Tumor bioengineering using a transglutaminase crosslinked hydrogel.
abstract: Development of a physiologically relevant 3D model system for cancer research and drug development is a current challenge. We have adopted a 3D culture system based on a transglutaminase-crosslinked gelatin gel (Col-Tgel) to mimic the tumor 3D microenvironment. The system has several unique advantages over other alternatives including presenting cell-matrix interaction sites from collagen-derived peptides, geometry-initiated multicellular tumor spheroids, and metabolic gradients in the tumor microenvironment. Also it provides a controllable wide spectrum of gel stiffness for mechanical signals, and technical compatibility with imaging based screening due to its transparent properties. In addition, the Col-Tgel provides a cure-in-situ delivery vehicle for tumor xenograft formation in animals enhancing tumor cell uptake rate. Overall, this distinctive 3D system could offer a platform to more accurately mimic in vivo situations to study tumor formation and progression both in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Nimni-Cordoba Tissue Engineering and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Josephine Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Nimni-Cordoba Tissue Engineering and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shih-Jye
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Nimni-Cordoba Tissue Engineering and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Nimni-Cordoba Tissue Engineering and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Charisse
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tayag
authors.affiliation: Nimni-Cordoba Tissue Engineering and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D003094:Collagen; D011503:Transglutaminases