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Prostate Cancer pp 175–194Cite as

A Method for Prostate and Breast Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures Using Gelatin Methacryloyl-Based Hydrogels

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1786))

Abstract

Modern tissue engineering technologies have delivered tools to recreate a cell’s naturally occurring niche in vitro and to investigate normal and pathological cell–cell and cell–niche interactions. Hydrogel biomaterials mimic crucial properties of native extracellular matrices, including mechanical support, cell adhesion sites and proteolytic degradability. As such, they are applied as 3D cell culture platforms to replicate tissue-like architectures observed in vivo, allowing physiologically relevant cell behaviors. Here we review bioengineered 3D approaches used for prostate and breast cancer. Furthermore, we describe the synthesis and use of gelatin methacryloyl-based hydrogels as in vitro 3D cancer model. This platform is used to engineer the microenvironments for prostate and breast cancer cells to study processes regulating spheroid formation, cell functions and responses to therapeutic compounds. Collectively, these bioengineered 3D approaches provide cell biologists with innovative pre-clinical tools that integrate the complexity of the disease seen in patients to advance our knowledge of cancer cell physiology and the contribution of a tumor’s surrounding milieu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Christoph Meinert, Christina Theodoropoulos, Travis J. Klein, Dietmar W. Hutmacher & Daniela Loessner

  2. Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre – Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Dietmar W. Hutmacher

  3. George W Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Dietmar W. Hutmacher

  4. Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Dietmar W. Hutmacher

  5. Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Daniela Loessner

Authors
  1. Christoph Meinert
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  2. Christina Theodoropoulos
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  3. Travis J. Klein
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  4. Dietmar W. Hutmacher
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  5. Daniela Loessner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Loessner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Innsbruch Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    Zoran Culig

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Meinert, C., Theodoropoulos, C., Klein, T.J., Hutmacher, D.W., Loessner, D. (2018). A Method for Prostate and Breast Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures Using Gelatin Methacryloyl-Based Hydrogels. In: Culig, Z. (eds) Prostate Cancer. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1786. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7845-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7845-8_10

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7843-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7845-8

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