3D Analysis and Morphometric Characterization of Compound Effects on Cancer Spheroid Cultures

Cellular transformation/tumorigenicity assays using cultures of cells in semi-solid media (soft agar or Matrigel) has been well established for cancer research. The assay requires cells to grow in an anchorage independent manner, which is a hallmark of cancer cells. Compared with adherent cells grown in 2D monolayers, 3D growth conditions are believed to more accurately reflect the natural environment of cancer cells and span the gap between 2D cultures and animal studies. Importantly, 3D assays correlated better with tumorigenicity in animals, e.g. mouse xenografts. The growing interest in developing methods for personalized medicine, in which tumor cells from individual patients are tested for sensitivityto a panel of drugs , has led to a need for more relevant, time-sensitive studies.