title: Nanomagnetic levitation three-dimensional cultures of breast and colorectal cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Innovative technologies for drug discovery and development, cancer models, stem cell research, tissue engineering, and drug testing in various cell-based platforms require an application similar to the in vivo system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed for the first time nanomagnetically levitated three-dimensional (3-D) cultures of breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells using carbon-encapsulated cobalt magnetic nanoparticles. BC and CRC xenografts grown in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice were evaluated for N-cadherin and epidermal growth factor receptor expressions. These phenotypes were compared with two-dimensional and 3-D cultures grown in a gel matrix.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BC and CRC cells grown by magnetic levitation formed microtissues. The levitated cultures had high viability and were maintained in culture for long periods of time. It has been observed that N-cadherin and epidermal growth factor receptor activities were highly expressed in the levitated 3-D tumor spheres and xenografts of CRC and BC cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nanomagnetically levitated 3-D cultures tend to form stable microtissues of BC and CRC and maybe more feasible for a range of applications in drug discovery or regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Michigan State University-CHM, Lansing, Michigan. Electronic address: harvey.bumpers@hc.msu.edu.
authors.forename: Harvey L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bumpers
authors.affiliation: Yerkes Vaccine Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Dasharatham G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Janagama
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Upender
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Manne
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Michigan State University-CHM, Lansing, Michigan.
authors.forename: Marc D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Basson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Michigan State University-CHM, Lansing, Michigan.
authors.forename: Venkat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katkoori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019073:HT29 Cells; D064593:Heterografts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Cancer cells; Carbon encapsulated; Cobalt; Nanomagnetic cell levitation; Nanotechnology; Scaffolds-free 3-D cell cultures