Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effect of the microenvironment provided by alginate-poly-l-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsule with liquefied or gelled core on the proliferation, viability, and metabolism of human cells, including anchorage-dependent MCF-7 breast cancer cells and primary fibroblasts, and anchorage-independent K-562 leukemia cells; cells in conventional culture were used as control. The growth pattern of cells in microcapsule was examined by phase-contrast micrography. The cell viability, proliferation, organization, and gene expression were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, hematoxylin and eosin staining, live/dead staining, 5-bromo-20-deoxyuridine labeling, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Cell metabolism was determined by measuring glucose and lactate concentrations in medium. The results demonstrate that APA microcapsule with liquefied core provides a microenvironment for both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent cells to grow into a large cell aggregate and maintain cell viability at a constant level for a period of time. In conclusion, cells in APA microcapsule are alive and have proliferation potential with lower metabolism rate. APA microcapsule may be a useful tool for in vitro tumor cell modeling and anticancer drug screening as well as for cancer gene therapy. In addition, it lays a solid foundation for the use of microencapsulation in cell culture in vitro and cell implantation in vivo.
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Zhang, X., Wang, W., Xie, Y. et al. Proliferation, viability, and metabolism of human tumor and normal cells cultured in microcapsule. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 134, 61–76 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:134:1:61
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:134:1:61