title: Cancer stem cell marker-expressing cell-rich spheroid fabrication from PANC-1 cells using alginate microcapsules with spherical cavities templated by gelatin microparticles.
abstract: Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are rare subpopulations of cancer cells. The development of three-dimensional tissues abundant in CSCs is important to both the understanding and establishment of novel therapeutics targeting them. Here, we describe the fabrication of multicellular tumor spheroids (MTSs) abundant in CSCs by employing alginate microcapsules with spherical cavities templated by cell-enclosing gelatin microparticles. Encapsulated human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 cells grew for 14 days until they filled the cavities. The percentage of cells expressing reported CSC markers CD24, CD44, and epithelial-specific antigen (ESA), increased during this growth period. The percentage at 24 days of incubation, 22%, was 1.6 times higher than that of MTSs formed on a nonadherent surface in the same period of incubation. The MTSs in microcapsules could be cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen using a conventional method. No significant difference in the content of CSC marker-expressing cells was detected at 3 days of incubation when thawed after cryopreservation for 2 weeks, compared with cells incubated without prior cryopreservation.
authors.affiliation: Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inamoto
authors.affiliation: Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.affiliation: Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.affiliation: Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taya
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005780:Gelatin; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008863:Microspheres; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D005780:Gelatin
keywords: alginate; cancer stem-like cells; cell encapsulation; microcapsule; tumor spheroids