title: Three-dimensional perfused tumour spheroid model for anti-cancer drug screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To build an in vitro-perfused, three-dimensional (3D) spheroid model based on the TissueFlex system for anti-cancer drug efficacy testing in order to mimic avascular micro-tissues with inherent O2, nutrient and metabolite gradients, and to provide a more accurate prediction of drug toxicity and efficacy than traditional in vitro tumour models in conventional static culture well plates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The perfused cancer spheroid model showed higher cell viability and increased diameter of spheroids over a relatively long culture period (17 days). Three anti-cancer drugs with different cytotoxic mechanisms were tested. In perfusion, lower cytotoxicity was observed for traditional cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil and microtubule-interfering, paclitaxel, showed greater interruption of spheroid integrity. For the hypoxic-dependent drug, tirapazamine, there was no significant difference observed between static and perfusion cultures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perfusion culture provides a better homeostasis for cancer cell growth in a more controllable working platform for long-term drug testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK. zhanfeng.cui@eng.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Zhanfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Anti-cancer drugs; Cancer spheroids; Drug screening; Perfusion; Three-dimensional cancer model