Differential impacts of charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum on c-Myc among distinct subtypes of breast cancer cell lines

Re-imagining human cell culture media: Challenges, innovations, and future directions

The development of optimized culture media is pivotal to advancements in human cell culture, underpinning progress in regenerative medicine, cell therapies, and personalized medicine. While foundational formulations like Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) have historically enabled significant biological research, these media were primarily designed for non-human cells and do not adequately address the unique metabolic and functional requirements of human cells. This review examines the evolution of cell culture media, identifying persistent challenges in reproducibility, scalability, and ethical concerns, particularly regarding the reliance on animal-derived components such as fetal bovine serum (FBS). We highlight innovations in serum-free and chemically defined media that offer promising alternatives by enhancing consistency, aligning with Good Manufacturing Practices, and addressing ethical concerns. Emerging approaches, including omics-based profiling, high-throughput screening, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven media design, are reshaping media optimization by enabling precise tailoring to the needs of specific human cell types and patient-derived cells. Furthermore, we discuss economic and regulatory challenges, emphasizing the need for cost-effective and scalable solutions to facilitate clinical translation. Looking forward, integrating advanced biotechnological tools such as 3D bioprinting, organ-on-a-chip systems, and personalized media formulations presents a transformative opportunity for human cell culture. These innovations, aligned with ethical and clinical standards, can drive the development of human-specific media systems that ensure reproducibility, scalability, and enhanced therapeutic potential, thereby advancing both research and clinical applications.

Exploring the potential of solid and liquid amniotic membrane biomaterial in 3D models for prostate cancer research: A comparative analysis with 2D models

OBJECTIVE

Research and tools are necessary for understanding prostate cancer biology. 3D cell culture models have been created to overcome the limitations of animal models and 2D cell culture. The amniotic membrane (AM), a natural biomaterial, emerges as an ideal scaffold for 3D cultures due to its accessibility and incorporation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in both solid and liquid forms.

METHODS

In this study, decellularized human amniotic membranes (DAM) and AM hydrogel were obtained and characterized. The solid DAM scaffold was employed to analyse cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, apoptosis, and the content of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins in prostate cancer cells in comparison to traditional 2D culture conditions under androgen deprivation treatment. Additionally, the liquid form of AM was assessed for its potential for 3D cultures of prostate cancer cells such as cells embedded in ECM, spheroid encapsulation, and invasion, with a parallel comparison to collagen.

RESULTS

The 3D DAM scaffold significantly impacted cancer cell migration, morphology, proliferation, and EMT protein expression compared to 2D models. AM hydrogel effectively preserved the structural integrity of spheroids and led to lower proliferated cells embedded in AM hydrogel compared to 2D culture. AM hydrogel, like collagen, has the potential to be utilized for simulating in vitro cellular invasion from the ECM.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the potential of the biomaterial of DAM and AM hydrogel in creating 3D culture models, combined with the brief duration required for decellularizing the AM, suggests that these materials offer an ideal tool for in vitro prostate cancer research.

Systematic Comparison of FBS and Medium Variation Effect on Key Cellular Processes Using Morphological Profiling

Although every cell biologist knows the importance of selecting the right growth conditions and it is well known that the composition of growth medium may vary depending on a product brand or lot affecting many cellular processes, still those effects are poorly systematized. We addressed this issue by comparing the effect of 12 fetal bovine sera (FBS) and eight growth media from different brands on the morphological and functional parameters of five cell types: lung adenocarcinoma, neuroblastoma, glioblastoma, embryonic kidney, and colorectal cancer cells. Using high-throughput imaging, we compared cell proliferation; performed morphological profiling based on the imaging of 561,519 cells; measured extracellular regulated kinases (ERK1/2) activity, mitochondria potential, and lysosome accumulation; and compared cell sensitivity to drugs, response to EGF stimulation, and ability to differentiate. We found that changes in cell proliferation and morphology were independent, and morphological changes were associated with differences in mitochondria potential or the cell's ability to differentiate. Surprisingly, the most drastic differences were detected in serum-free conditions, where medium choice affected cell survival and response to EGF. Overall, our data may be used to improve the reproducibility of experiments involving cell cultures, and the effects of 28 growth conditions on proliferation and 44 morphological parameters can be explored through a Shinyapp.

Sulforaphane inhibits the growth of prostate cancer by regulating the microRNA-3919/DJ-1 axis

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common solid cancer among men worldwide and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate compound, has been shown to exert inhibitory effects on a variety of cancers. However, the biological function of SFN in PCa has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was conducted to further investigate the possible underlying mechanism of SFN in PCa using in vitro cell culture and in vivo tumor model experiments.

Methods

Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing assay, transwell assay, or flow cytometry. Expression of microRNA (miR)-3919 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or in situ hybridization assay. Xenograft assay was conducted to validated the antitumor effect of miR-3919. The targeting relationship between miR-3919 and DJ-1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The level of DJ-1was measured by qRT-PCR or western blotting (WB).

Results

In the present study, SFN downregulated mRNA and protein expression of DJ-1, an oncogenic gene. Small RNA sequencing analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that microRNA (miR)-3919 directly targeted DJ-1 to inhibition its expression. Furthermore, miR-3919 overexpression impeded viability, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis of PCa cells. Tumor growth in nude mice was also inhibited by miR-3919 overexpression, and miR-3919 expression in PCa tissues was lower than that in peritumoral tissues in an in situ hybridization assay. Transfection with miR-3919 inhibitors partially reversed the effects of SFN on cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis.

Conclusion

Overall, the miR-3919/DJ-1 axis may be involved in the effects of SFN on the malignant biological behavior of PCa cells, which might be a new therapeutic target in PCa.

Female aging: when translational models don't translate

For many pathologies associated with aging, female patients present with higher morbidity and more frequent adverse events from treatments compared to male patients. While preclinical models are the foundation of our mechanistic understanding of age-related diseases, the most common models fail to recapitulate archetypical female aging trajectories. For example, while over 70% of the top age-related diseases are influenced by the systemic effects of reproductive senescence, we found that preclinical studies that include menopausal phenotypes modeling those seen in humans make up <1% of published aging biology research. The long-term impacts of pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding are also typically omitted from preclinical work. In this Perspective, we summarize limitations in the most commonly used aging models, and we provide recommendations for better incorporating menopause, pregnancy and other considerations of sex in vivo and in vitro. Lastly, we outline action items for aging biology researchers, journals, funding agencies and animal providers to address this gap.

Primary human thyrocytes maintained the function of thyroid hormone production and secretion in vitro

PURPOSE

Thyroid cell lines are useful tools to study the physiology and pathology of the thyroid, however, they do not produce or secrete hormones in vitro. On the other hand, the detection of endogenous thyroid hormones in primary thyrocytes was often hindered by the dedifferentiation of thyrocytes ex vivo and the presence of large amounts of exogenous hormones in the culture medium. This study aimed to create a culture system that could maintain the function of thyrocytes to produce and secrete thyroid hormones in vitro.

METHODS

We established a Transwell culture system of primary human thyrocytes. Thyrocytes were seeded on a porous membrane in the inner chamber of the Transwell with top and bottom surfaces exposed to different culture components, mimicking the 'lumen-capillary' structure of the thyroid follicle. Moreover, to eliminate exogenous thyroid hormones from the culture medium, two alternatives were tried: a culture recipe using hormone-reduced serum and a serum-free culture recipe.

RESULTS

The results showed that primary human thyrocytes expressed thyroid-specific genes at higher levels in the Transwell system than in the monolayer culture. Hormones were detected in the Transwell system even in the absence of serum. The age of the donor was negatively related to the hormone production of thyrocytes in vitro. Intriguingly, primary human thyrocytes cultured without serum secreted higher levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) than free thyroxine (FT4).

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed that primary human thyrocytes could maintain the function of hormone production and secretion in the Transwell system, thus providing a useful tool to study thyroid function in vitro.

17beta-estradiol alleviates contusion-induced skeletal muscle injury by decreasing oxidative stress via SIRT1/PGC-1α/Nrf2 pathway

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the role of 17β-estradiol (E₂) in the repair of contusion-induced myoinjury in mice and to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

In vivo, contusion protocol was performed for preparing mice myoinjury model, and Injection (i.p.) of 17β-estradiol (E₂) or estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, or ovariectomy (OVX), was used to alter estrogen level of animal models. In vitro, C₂C₁₂ myoblasts were treated with H₂O₂ (oxidative stress inducer), SIRT1 inhibitor EX527, or aromatase inhibitor anastrozole. Serum E₂ level was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Muscle damage repair was evaluated by H&E staining and the activities of serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The oxidative stress was estimated by the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Western blot was performed to measure the protein expressions of SIRT1, PGC-1α, Nrf2, and HO-1.

RESULTS

We observed the elevated serum E₂ levels and the upregulated oxidative stress in damaged muscle in female mice after contusion-induction. The E₂ administration in vivo alleviated contusion-induced myoinjury in OVX mice by reducing CK and LDH activities, suppressing oxidative stress, and enhancing the expression levels of SIRT1, PGC-1α, Nrf2, and HO-1. These effects were inhibited by treatment with an ERα/β antagonist. Moreover, EX527 or anastrozole treatment exacerbated H₂O₂-induced growth inhibition and oxidative stress, and expression downregulation of SIRT1, PGC-1α, Nrf2, and HO-1 in C₂C₁₂ cells in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that E₂ is a positive intervention factor for muscle repair followed contusion-induced myoinjury, through its effects on suppressing oxidative stress via activating the SIRT1/PGC-1α/Nrf2 pathway.

Estradiol deficiency reduces the satellite cell pool by impairing cell cycle progression

The size of the satellite cell pool is reduced in estradiol (E2)-deficient female mice and humans. Here, we use a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches to identify mechanisms, whereby E2 deficiency impairs satellite cell maintenance. By measuring satellite cell numbers in mice at several early time points postovariectomy (Ovx), we determine that satellite cell numbers decline by 33% between 10 and 14 days post-Ovx in tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles. At 14 days post-Ovx, we demonstrate that satellite cells have a reduced propensity to transition from G0/G1 to S and G2/M phases, compared with cells from ovary-intact mice, associated with changes in two key satellite cell cycle regulators, ccna2 and p16INK4a. Further, freshly isolated satellite cells treated with E2 in vitro have 62% greater cell proliferation and require less time to complete the first division. Using clonal and differentiation assays, we measured 69% larger satellite cell colonies and enhanced satellite cell-derived myoblast differentiation with E2 treatment compared with vehicle-treated cells. Together, these results identify a novel mechanism for preservation of the satellite cell pool by E2 via promotion of satellite cell cycling.

The bioinformatics analysis of quercetin in octagonal lotus for the screening of breast cancer MYC, CXCL10, CXCL11, and E2F1

Background

Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the effective molecular screening of Podophyllum octagonal in breast cancer treatment by using network pharmacology.

Methods

We collected the active ingredients and target genes of Chinese medicine octagonal lotus through the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Analysis Platform (TCMSP); downloaded human protein annotation information on the protein database Uniport; and collected data from five databases: GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TDD, and DrugBank. Construct the practical ingredient-target gene data intersection to obtain the target gene-disease gene and draw the Venn diagram. We use Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to construct the effective component-target gene-disease gene network. The STRING database protein interaction (PPI) networks were erected, and we used Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to screen out its core sub-networks and hub gene networks. Through survival analysis, core genes and hub genes were screened to identify several key genes. We performed key target gene ontology (GO) analysis and gene interaction (KEGG) analysis, which were followed by molecular docking of the key active ingredients in the star anise corresponding to several key genes.

Results

19 active ingredients, 444 drug targets, and 10,941 disease-related genes were obtained. The key active ingredient was quercetin. GO analysis revealed 2471 affected biological processes, and 167 pathways were obtained in KEGG enrichment analysis.

Conclusion

This study initially screened the key active ingredients of star aniseed lotus and analyzed key genes and several essential pathways. Traditional Chinese medicine is expected to provide new evidence and research ideas to prevent and treat breast cancer.