Newly developed 3D in vitro models to study tumor-immune interaction

Construction of Multicellular Neural Tissue Using Three-Dimensional Printing Technology: Cell Interaction

The study of the human nervous system remains challenging due to its inherent complexity and difficulty in obtaining original samples. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a rapidly evolving technology in the field of tissue engineering that has made significant contributions to several disciplines, including neuroscience. In order to more accurately reflect the intricate multicellular milieu of the in vivo environment, an increasing number of studies have commenced experimentation with the coprinting of diverse cell types. This article provides an overview of technical details and the application of 3D bioprinting with multiple cell types in the field of neuroscience, focusing on the challenges of coprinting and the research conducted based on multicellular printing. This review discusses cell interactions in coprinting systems, stem cell applications, the construction of brain-like organoids, the establishment of disease models, and the potential for integrating 3D bioprinting with other 3D culture techniques.

In vitro models: Can they unravel the complexities of cancer cell metastasis?

Metastasis still accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths despite intense research efforts made worldwide to better understand the determinants involved and discover novel ways to halt it. However, studying the pathogenesis of metastasis in actual patients is indeed challenging which renders the need for the development of relevant experimental models urgent. Traditionally, several in vitro and in vivo models have been developed to study metastasis each of which having its own advantages and limitations. In the present review, we analyzed the current approaches used in cancer biology research to study cancer cell metastasis giving emphasis on the newly developed in vitro systems that take into account factors like the three-dimensional (3D) nature of the tumor, the interaction between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix or other cells present in the tumor microenvironment, and thus, better recapitulate the metastatic process. These approaches, namely 3D bioprinting, 3D tissue models, microfluidics systems, and spheroid generation are currently used separately or in combination depending on the research question and the cancer type in order to better represent the actual in vivo setting.

Deciphering the Human Germinal Center: A Review of Models to Study T-B Cell Interactions

Interactions between T- and B cells in the germinal center reaction are instrumental for the initiation, maintenance, and downregulation of the human adaptive immune response, leading to the production of antigen-specific antibodies and long-lasting immunological memory. Replicating the human immune system remains challenging, with an over-reliance on animal models with limited translational accuracy. There is an increasing need for new tools that accurately model human immune function. This review evaluates existing 2D and 3D in vitro and ex vivo human models for their ability to reproduce the germinal center reaction, with a particular focus on T- and B-cell interaction. We conclude that although current models are able to replicate certain features of the germinal center reaction, no current model is able to completely replicate the complex human GC process. We outline the challenges in recreating a fully functional germinal center and suggest future directions of research to improve existing models, ultimately bringing us closer to completely reproducing the human lymph node.

Comparative analysis of pediatric SHH medulloblastoma DAOY spheres and adherent monolayers: implications for medulloblastoma research

Medulloblastoma, the most prevalent brain tumor among children, requires a comprehensive understanding of its cellular characteristics for effective research and treatment. In this study, we focused on DAOY, a permanent cell line of medulloblastoma, and investigated the unique properties of DAOY cells when cultured as floating multicellular aggregates called spheres, as opposed to adherent monolayers. Through our comprehensive analysis, we identified distinct characteristics associated with DAOY spheres. Our findings demonstrate that DAOY spheres express markers for both neural stem cells, such as CD133 (PROM1), and differentiated neurons, exemplified by MAP2. Additionally, our investigation revealed that spheres-derived cells exhibit heightened resistance to ionizing radiation compared to adherent cells. Consequently, our results indicate that caution is advised when interpreting experimental results obtained from adherent cell cultures and extrapolating them to in vivo situations.

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of NAD(P)H in Patients' Lymphocytes: Evaluation of Efficacy of Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

The wide variability in clinical responses to anti-tumor immunotherapy drives the search for personalized strategies. One of the promising approaches is drug screening using patient-derived models composed of tumor and immune cells. In this regard, the selection of an appropriate in vitro model and the choice of cellular response assay are critical for reliable predictions. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful, non-destructive tool that enables direct monitoring of cellular metabolism on a label-free basis with a potential to resolve metabolic rearrangements in immune cells associated with their reactivity.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to develop a patient-derived glioma explant model enriched by autologous peripheral lymphocytes and explore FLIM of the redox-cofactor NAD(P)H in living lymphocytes to measure the responses of the model to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

METHODS

The light microscopy, FLIM of NAD(P)H and flow cytometry were used.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate that the responsive models displayed a significant increase in the free NAD(P)H fraction α1 after treatment, associated with a shift towards glycolysis due to lymphocyte activation. The non-responsive models exhibited no alterations or a decrease in the NAD(P)H α1 after treatment. The FLIM data correlated well with the standard assays of immunotherapy drug response in vitro, including morphological changes, the T-cells activation marker CD69, and the tumor cell proliferation index Ki67.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed platform that includes tumor explants co-cultured with lymphocytes and the NAD(P)H FLIM assay represents a promising solution for the patient-specific immunotherapeutic drug screening.

3D Tumor Model to Study Immune Cell Infiltration

Drug discovery in oncology is characterized by high attrition rates in clinical trials. The main reasons are lack of efficacy or unacceptable toxicity. Thus, more predictive preclinical models for drug discovery and development are urgently needed. In the field of immune-oncology, preclinical models are particularly demanding since they have to reflect the complex interplay between tumor cells and immune cells in the human body.The recent years were characterized by vast advancement in 3D in vitro models and organoid techniques. These models mimic the tumor microenvironment more realistically than traditional 2D cell cultures. They can include the main components of the tumor microenvironment, like (primary) tumor cells, immune cells and other stromal cells and allow growth and interaction of the diverse cell types in 3D. Thus, these 3D models provide a physiologically relevant platform for studying the mode of action of (immuno-) oncologic therapeutic drugs. SMAC (second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspases) mimetics, like many other anticancer drugs, can exert their effects on different cell populations within the tumor microenvironment, which can be analyzed by using 3D co-cultures as preclinical models.Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool to study biological processes. In live cell imaging, entire cells or subcellular structures can be monitored over time with the help of fluorescent labels.In this chapter, we describe a human 3D co-culture infiltration assay combining tumor cells embedded in a hydrogel and immune cells added on top of the hydrogel. This 3D co-culture is stable for more than 1 week and gives insights into cellular drug responses over time. We used live cell imaging/fluorescence microscopy as the main readout to quantify immune cell infiltration in 3D in response to SMAC mimetic treatment.

Lung cancer organoid-based drug evaluation models and new drug development application trends

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates in both men and women worldwide. Although anticancer drugs are prescribed to treat lung cancer patients, individual responses to these drugs vary, making it crucial to identify the most suitable treatment for each patient. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an anticancer drug efficacy prediction model that can analyze drug efficacy before patient treatment and establish personalized treatment strategies. Unlike two-dimensional (2D) cultured lung cancer cells, lung cancer organoid (LCO) models have a three-dimensional (3D) structure that effectively mimics the characteristics and heterogeneity of lung cancer cells. Lung cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) also have the advantage of recapitulating histological and genetic characteristics similar to those of patient tissues under in vitro conditions. Due to these advantages, LCO models are utilized in various fields, including cancer research, and precision medicine, and are especially employed in various new drug development processes, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapy. LCO models demonstrate potential applications in precision medicine and new drug development research. This review discusses the various methods for implementing LCO models, LCO-based anticancer drug efficacy analysis models, and new trends in lung cancer-targeted drug development.

Harnessing nanoengineered CAR-T cell strategies to advance solid tumor immunotherapy

The efficacy and safety of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is still inconclusive in solid tumor treatment. Recently, nanotechnology has emerged as a potent strategy to reshape CAR-T cell therapy with promising outcomes. This review aims to discuss the significant potential of nano-engineered CAR-T cell therapy in addressing existing challenges, including CAR-T cell engineering evolution, tumor microenvironment (TME) modulation, and precise CAR-T cell therapy (precise targeting, monitoring, and activation), under the main consideration of clinical translation. It also focuses on the growing trend of technological convergence within this domain, such as mRNA therapeutics, organoids, neoantigen, and artificial intelligence. Moreover, safety management of nanomedicine is seriously emphasized to facilitate clinical translation.

High-throughput formulation of reproducible 3D cancer microenvironments for drug testing in myeloid leukemia

Leukemic microenvironment has been recognized as a factor that strongly supports the mechanisms of resistance. Therefore, targeting the microenvironment is currently one of the major directions in drug development and preclinical studies in leukemia. Despite the variety of available leukemia 3D culture models, the reproducible generation of miniaturized leukemic microenvironments, suitable for high-throughput drug testing, has remained a challenge. Here, we use droplet microfluidics to generate tens of thousands of highly monodisperse leukemic-bone marrow microenvironments within minutes. We employ gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) as a model extracellular matrix (ECM) and tune the concentration of the biopolymer, check the impact of other components of the ECM (hyaluronic acid), cell concentration and the ratio of leukemic cells to bone marrow cells within the microbeads to establish the optimal conditions for microtissue formation. We administer model kinase inhibitor, imatinib, at various concentrations to the encapsulated leukemic microtissues, and, via comparing mono- and co-culture conditions (cancer alone vs cancer-stroma), we find that the stroma-leukemia crosstalk systematically protects the encapsulated cells against the drug-induced cytotoxicity. With that we demonstrate that our system mimics the physiological stroma-dependent protection. We discuss applicability of our model to (i) studying the role of direct- or close-contact interactions between the leukemia and bone marrow cells embedded in microscale 3D ECM on the stroma-mediated protection, and (ii) high-throughput screening of anti-cancer therapeutics in personalized leukemia therapies.

Prognostic Value of miR-10a-3p in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose

Poor lung cancer patients' outcomes and survival rates demand the discovery of new biomarkers for the specific, significant, and less invasive detection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of miRNA expression as biomarkers in NSCLC utilizing a preclinical cell culture setup based on screening of miRNAs in NSCLC cells grown in 3D cell culture.

Patients and Methods

The study was performed using lung cancer cell lines, varying in different levels of aggressiveness: NCI-H1299, A549, Calu-1, and NCI-H23, as well as noncancerous bronchial epithelial cell line HBEC3, which were grown in 3D cell culture. Total RNA from all cell lines was extracted and small RNA libraries were prepared and sequenced using the Illumina NGS platform. The expression of 8 differentially expressed miRNAs was further validated in 89 paired tissue specimens and plasma samples obtained from NSCLC patients. Statistical analysis was performed to determine whether miRNA expression and clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients could be considered as independent factors significantly influencing PFS or OS.

Results

Differentially expressed miRNAs, including let-7d-3p, miR-10a-3p, miR-28-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-100-3p, miR-182-5p, miR-190a-5p, and miR-340-5p, were identified through next-generation sequencing in NSCLC cell lines with varying levels of aggressiveness. Validation of patient samples, including tumor and plasma specimens, revealed that out of the 8 investigated miRNAs, only plasma miR-10a-3p showed a significant increase, which was associated with significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) (p=0.009). Furthermore, miR-10a-3p in plasma emerged as a statistically significant prognostic variable for NSCLC patients' PFS (HR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9, p=0.029).

Conclusion

Our findings of screening miRNA expression patterns in NSCLC cells grown in 3D cell culture indicated that the expression level of circulating miR-10a-3p has the potential as a novel non-invasive biomarker to reflect the short-term prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Evaluation of lymphocyte infiltration into cancer spheroids by immunofluorescent staining and 3D imaging

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) cultures of tumor cells has emerged as an important tool in cancer research. The significance of 3D cultures, such as tumor spheroids, lies in their ability to mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment more precisely, offering a nuanced understanding of immune responses within the context of tumor progression. In fact, the infiltration of cytotoxic lymphocytes is key to determining patients' prognosis in several types of cancer and response to immunotherapy. Therefore, harnessing the cytotoxic and infiltration potential of immune cells is a promising avenue for developing effective therapies. This protocol offers a straightforward approach for analyzing infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor spheroids by confocal microscopy imaging. Although it specifically involves utilizing tumor spheroids and culture with autologous tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs), the protocol can be adapted for other immune cell types, such as NK cells.

Application of tumor organoids simulating the tumor microenvironment in basic and clinical research of tumor immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has led to groundbreaking advances in anti-tumor treatment, yet significant clinical challenges remain such as the low proportion of beneficiaries and the lack of effective platforms for predicting therapeutic response. Organoid technology provides a novel solution to these issues. Organoids are three-dimensional tissue cultures derived from adult stem cells or pluripotent stem cells that closely replicate the structural and biological characteristics of native organs, demonstrating particularly strong potential in modeling the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor organoids can simulate TME effectively by retaining endogenous matrix components, including various immune cells, or by adding immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and other components. This provides a novel platform for predicting immunotherapy outcomes, evaluating adoptive cell therapies, and selecting personalized treatment options for patients. Summarizing strategies for constructing tumor organoids that simulate the microenvironment and understanding their advancements in immunotherapy research and clinical application can provide new insights for the development of tumor immunotherapy.

In-vitro assays for immuno-oncology drug efficacy assessment and screening for personalized cancer therapy: scopes and challenges

INTRODUCTION

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, but often fail to produce desirable therapeutic outcomes in all patients. Due to the inter-patient heterogeneity and complexity of the tumor microenvironment, personalized treatment approaches are gaining demand. Researchers have long been using a range of in-vitro assays including 2D models, organoid co-cultures, and cancer-on-a-chip platforms for cancer drug screening. A comparative analysis of these assays with their suitability, high-throughput capacity, and clinical translatability is required for optimal translational use.

AREAS COVERED

The review summarized in-vitro platforms with their comparative advantages and limitations including construction strategies, and translational potential for immuno-oncology drug efficacy assessment. We also discussed end-point analysis strategies so that researchers can contextualize their usefulness and optimally design experiments for personalized immunotherapy efficacy prediction.

EXPERT OPINION

Researchers developed several in-vitro platforms that can provide information on personalized immunotherapy efficacy from different angles. Image-based assays are undoubtedly more suitable to gather a wide range of information including cellular morphology and phenotypical behaviors but need significant improvement to overcome issues including background noise, sample preparation difficulty, and long duration of experiment. More studies and clinical trials are needed to resolve these issues and validate the assays before they can be used in real-life scenarios.

The application of organoids in colorectal diseases

Intestinal organoids are a three-dimensional cell culture model derived from colon or pluripotent stem cells. Intestinal organoids constructed in vitro strongly mimic the colon epithelium in cell composition, tissue architecture, and specific functions, replicating the colon epithelium in an in vitro culture environment. As an emerging biomedical technology, organoid technology has unique advantages over traditional two-dimensional culture in preserving parental gene expression and mutation, cell function, and biological characteristics. It has shown great potential in the research and treatment of colorectal diseases. Organoid technology has been widely applied in research on colorectal topics, including intestinal tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, and intestinal injury regeneration. This review focuses on the application of organoid technology in colorectal diseases, including the basic principles and preparation methods of organoids, and explores the pathogenesis of and personalized treatment plans for various colorectal diseases to provide a valuable reference for organoid technology development and application.

Organoid models: the future companions of personalized drug development

High failure rates of the current drug development process are driving exemplary changes toward methodologies centered on human diseasein-vitromodeling. Organoids are self-organized tissue sub-units resembling their organ of origin and are widely acknowledged for their unique potential in recapitulating human physio-pathological mechanisms. They are transformative for human health by becoming the platform of choice to probe disease mechanisms and advance new therapies. Furthermore, the compounds' validation as therapeutics represents another point of the drug development pipeline where organoids may provide key understandings and help pharma organizations replace or reduce animal research. In this review, we focus on gastrointestinal organoid models, which are currently the most advanced organoid models in drug development. We focus on experimental validations of their value, and we propose avenues to enhance their use in drug discovery and development, as well as precision medicine and diagnostics.

Microphysiological systems as models for immunologically 'cold' tumors

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a diverse milieu of cells including cancerous and non-cancerous cells such as fibroblasts, pericytes, endothelial cells and immune cells. The intricate cellular interactions within the TME hold a central role in shaping the dynamics of cancer progression, influencing pivotal aspects such as tumor initiation, growth, invasion, response to therapeutic interventions, and the emergence of drug resistance. In immunologically 'cold' tumors, the TME is marked by a scarcity of infiltrating immune cells, limited antigen presentation in the absence of potent immune-stimulating signals, and an abundance of immunosuppressive factors. While strategies targeting the TME as a therapeutic avenue in 'cold' tumors have emerged, there is a pressing need for novel approaches that faithfully replicate the complex cellular and non-cellular interactions in order to develop targeted therapies that can effectively stimulate immune responses and improve therapeutic outcomes in patients. Microfluidic devices offer distinct advantages over traditional in vitro 3D co-culture models and in vivo animal models, as they better recapitulate key characteristics of the TME and allow for precise, controlled insights into the dynamic interplay between various immune, stromal and cancerous cell types at any timepoint. This review aims to underscore the pivotal role of microfluidic systems in advancing our understanding of the TME and presents current microfluidic model systems that aim to dissect tumor-stromal, tumor-immune and immune-stromal cellular interactions in various 'cold' tumors. Understanding the intricacies of the TME in 'cold' tumors is crucial for devising effective targeted therapies to reinvigorate immune responses and overcome the challenges of current immunotherapy approaches.

Lysine Methyltransferase 9 (KMT9) Is an Actionable Target in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Novel treatment modalities are imperative for the challenging management of muscle-invasive and metastatic BC to improve patient survival rates. The recently identified KMT9, an obligate heterodimer composed of KMT9α and KMT9β, regulates the growth of various types of tumors such as prostate, lung, and colon cancer. While the overexpression of KMT9α was previously observed to be associated with aggressive basal-like MIBC in an analysis of patients' tissue samples, a potential functional role of KMT9 in this type of cancer has not been investigated to date. In this study, we show that KMT9 regulates proliferation, migration, and invasion of various MIBC cell lines with different genetic mutations. KMT9α depletion results in the differential expression of genes regulating the cell cycle, cell adhesion, and migration. Differentially expressed genes include oncogenes such as EGFR and AKT1 as well as mediators of cell adhesion or migration such as DAG1 and ITGA6. Reduced cell proliferation upon KMT9α depletion is also observed in Pten/Trp53 knockout bladder tumor organoids, which cannot be rescued with an enzymatically inactive KMT9α mutant. In accordance with the idea that the catalytic activity of KMT9 is required for the control of cellular processes in MIBC, a recently developed small-molecule inhibitor of KMT9 (KMI169) also impairs cancer cell proliferation. Since KMT9α depletion also restricts the growth of xenografts in mice, our data suggest that KMT9 is an actionable novel therapeutic target for the treatment of MIBC.

Precise Targeting of Autoantigen-Specific B Cells in Lupus Nephritis with Chimeric Autoantibody Receptor T Cells

Despite conventional therapy, lupus nephritis (LN) remains a significant contributor to short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. B cell abnormalities and the production of autoantibodies against nuclear complexes like anti-dsDNA are recognised as key players in the pathogenesis of LN. To address the challenges of chronic immunosuppression associated with current therapies, we have engineered T cells to express chimeric autoantibody receptors (DNA-CAART) for the precise targeting of B cells expressing anti-dsDNA autoantibodies. T cells from LN patients were transduced using six different CAAR vectors based on their antigen specificity, including alpha-actinin, histone-1, heparan sulphate, or C1q. The cytotoxicity, cytokine production, and cell-cell contact of DNA-CAART were thoroughly investigated in co-culture experiments with B cells isolated from patients, both with and without anti-dsDNA positivity. The therapeutic effects were further evaluated using an in vitro immune kidney LN organoid. Among the six proposed DNA-CAART, DNA4 and DNA6 demonstrated superior selectively cytotoxic activity against anti-dsDNA+ B cells. Notably, DNA4-CAART exhibited improvements in organoid morphology, apoptosis, and the inflammatory process in the presence of IFNα-stimulated anti-dsDNA+ B cells. Based on these findings, DNA4-CAART emerge as promising candidates for modulating autoimmunity and represent a novel approach for the treatment of LN.

Contribution of the ELRs to the development of advanced in vitro models

Developing in vitro models that accurately mimic the microenvironment of biological structures or processes holds substantial promise for gaining insights into specific biological functions. In the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in vitro models able to capture the precise structural, topographical, and functional complexity of living tissues, prove to be valuable tools for comprehending disease mechanisms, assessing drug responses, and serving as alternatives or complements to animal testing. The choice of the right biomaterial and fabrication technique for the development of these in vitro models plays an important role in their functionality. In this sense, elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) have emerged as an important tool for the fabrication of in vitro models overcoming the challenges encountered in natural and synthetic materials due to their intrinsic properties, such as phase transition behavior, tunable biological properties, viscoelasticity, and easy processability. In this review article, we will delve into the use of ELRs for molecular models of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), as well as for the development of in vitro 3D models for regenerative medicine. The easy processability of the ELRs and their rational design has allowed their use for the development of spheroids and organoids, or bioinks for 3D bioprinting. Thus, incorporating ELRs into the toolkit of biomaterials used for the fabrication of in vitro models, represents a transformative step forward in improving the accuracy, efficiency, and functionality of these models, and opening up a wide range of possibilities in combination with advanced biofabrication techniques that remains to be explored.

Organoid co-culture models of the tumor microenvironment promote precision medicine

In recent years, the three-dimensional (3D) culture system has emerged as a promising preclinical model for tumor research owing to its ability to replicate the tissue structure and molecular characteristics of solid tumors in vivo. This system offers several advantages, including high throughput, efficiency, and retention of tumor heterogeneity. Traditional Matrigel-submerged organoid cultures primarily support the long-term proliferation of epithelial cells. One solution for the exploration of the tumor microenvironment is a reconstitution approach involving the introduction of exogenous cell types, either in dual, triple or even multiple combinations. Another solution is a holistic approach including patient-derived tumor fragments, air-liquid interface, suspension 3D culture, and microfluidic tumor-on-chip models. Organoid co-culture models have also gained popularity for studying the tumor microenvironment, evaluating tumor immunotherapy, identifying predictive biomarkers, screening for effective drugs, and modeling infections. By leveraging these 3D culture systems, it is hoped to advance the clinical application of therapeutic approaches and improve patient outcomes.

Organoids: An Emerging Precision Medicine Model for Prostate Cancer Research

Prostate cancer (PCa) has been known as the most prevalent cancer disease and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in men almost all over the globe. There is an urgent need for establishment of PCa models that can recapitulate the progress of genomic landscapes and molecular alterations during development and progression of this disease. Notably, several organoid models have been developed for assessing the complex interaction between PCa and its surrounding microenvironment. In recent years, PCa organoids have been emerged as powerful in vitro 3D model systems that recapitulate the molecular features (such as genomic/epigenomic changes and tumor microenvironment) of PCa metastatic tumors. In addition, application of organoid technology in mechanistic studies (i.e., for understanding cellular/subcellular and molecular alterations) and translational medicine has been recognized as a promising approach for facilitating the development of potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize the application of PCa organoids in the high-throughput screening and establishment of relevant xenografts for developing novel therapeutics for metastatic, castration resistant, and neuroendocrine PCa. These organoid-based studies are expected to expand our knowledge from basic research to clinical applications for PCa diseases. Furthermore, we also highlight the optimization of PCa cultures and establishment of promising 3D organoid models for in vitro and in vivo investigations, ultimately facilitating mechanistic studies and development of novel clinical diagnosis/prognosis and therapies for PCa.

Incorporating NK Cells in a Three-Dimensional Organotypic Culture System for Human Skin Stem Cells: Modeling Skin Diseases and Immune Cell Interplay

Natural killer (NK) cells are a part of a sophisticated immune system that is necessary for the skin because it is a crucial organ that is continually exposed to environmental influences. Recent studies have shown that NK cell incorporation into three-dimensional (3D) organotypic culture systems for human skin stem cells provides a physiologically relevant environment to study the interactions between immune cells and skin cells, making it a powerful tool for simulating skin diseases and researching these interactions. It has been shown that adding NK cells to 3D organotypic culture systems can improve keratinocyte differentiation and control inflammation in a variety of skin conditions, including psoriasis. In order to increase our knowledge of skin diseases and immune cell interactions, this work intends to propose an optimum approach for adding NK cells to a 3D organotypic culturing system for human skin stem cells. By better comprehending these relationships, researchers hope to develop novel treatments for skin diseases that are more effective and cause fewer side effects than current treatments. To completely understand the mechanisms underlying these interactions and to create new treatments for skin diseases, more research is required. In conclusion, NK cell integration into 3D organotypic culture systems offers a potent tool to investigate immune cell interactions with skin cells in a physiologically appropriate setting, which may result in major improvements in the treatment of skin diseases.

Progress in patient-derived liver cancer cell models: a step forward for precision medicine

The development of effective precision treatments for liver cancers has been hindered by the scarcity of preclinical models that accurately reflect the heterogeneity of this disease. Recent progress in developing patient-derived liver cancer cell lines and organoids has paved the way for precision medicine research. These expandable resources of liver cancer cell models enable a full spectrum of pharmacogenomic analysis for liver cancers. Moreover, patient-derived and short-term cultured two-dimensional tumor cells or three-dimensional organoids can serve as patient avatars, allowing for the prediction of patients' response to drugs and facilitating personalized treatment for liver cancer patients. Furthermore, the current novel techniques have expanded the scope of cancer research, including innovative organoid culture, gene editing and bioengineering. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress in patient-derived liver cancer cell models, focusing on their applications in precision and personalized medicine research. We also discuss the challenges and future perspectives in this field.

Addressing Key Questions in Organoid Models: Who, Where, How, and Why?

Organoids are three-dimensional cellular structures designed to recreate the biological characteristics of the body's native tissues and organs in vitro. There has been a recent surge in studies utilizing organoids due to their distinct advantages over traditional two-dimensional in vitro approaches. However, there is no consensus on how to define organoids. This literature review aims to clarify the concept of organoids and address the four fundamental questions pertaining to organoid models: (i) What constitutes organoids?-The cellular material. (ii) Where do organoids grow?-The extracellular scaffold. (iii) How are organoids maintained in vitro?-Via the culture media. (iv) Why are organoids suitable in vitro models?-They represent reproducible, stable, and scalable models for biological applications. Finally, this review provides an update on the organoid models employed within the female reproductive tract, underscoring their relevance in both basic biology and clinical applications.

Application of organoids in precision immunotherapy of lung cancer (Review)

In immunotherapy, the immune system is modulated in order to treat cancer. Traditional two dimensional in vitro models and in vivo animal models are insufficient to simulate the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) in the original tumor. As tumor immunotherapy involves the immune system, additional tumor mimic models, such as patient-derived organoids, are required for the evaluation of the efficacy of immunotherapy. Furthermore, non-tumor components and host tumor cells in the TME may interact to promote cancer incidence, progression, drug resistance and metastasis. It is possible to produce organoid models for lung cancer by retaining endogenous stromal components (e.g., multiple immune cell types), supplying cancer-associated fibroblasts and exogenous immune cells, constructing tumor vasculature and adding other biological or chemical components that emulate the TME. Therefore, the lung cancer organoid culture platform may facilitate preclinical testing of immunotherapy drugs for lung cancer by mimicking immunotherapy responses. The present review summarizes current lung cancer organoid culture methods for TME modeling and discusses the use of lung cancer-derived organoids for the detection of lung cancer immunotherapy and individualized cancer immunotherapy.

Exploring Tumor-Immune Interactions in Co-Culture Models of T Cells and Tumor Organoids Derived from Patients

The use of patient-derived tumor tissues and cells has led to significant advances in personalized cancer therapy and precision medicine. The advent of genomic sequencing technologies has enabled the comprehensive analysis of tumor characteristics. The three-dimensional tumor organoids derived from self-organizing cancer stem cells are valuable ex vivo models that faithfully replicate the structure, unique features, and genetic characteristics of tumors. These tumor organoids have emerged as innovative tools that are extensively employed in drug testing, genome editing, and transplantation to guide personalized therapy in clinical settings. However, a major limitation of this emerging technology is the absence of a tumor microenvironment that includes immune and stromal cells. The therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors has underscored the importance of immune cells, particularly cytotoxic T cells that infiltrate the vicinity of tumors, in patient prognosis. To address this limitation, co-culture techniques combining tumor organoids and T cells have been developed, offering diverse avenues for studying individualized drug responsiveness. By integrating cellular components of the tumor microenvironment, including T cells, into tumor organoid cultures, immuno-oncology has embraced this technology, which is rapidly advancing. Recent progress in co-culture models of tumor organoids has allowed for a better understanding of the advantages and limitations of this novel model, thereby exploring its full potential. This review focuses on the current applications of organoid-T cell co-culture models in cancer research and highlights the remaining challenges that need to be addressed for its broader implementation in anti-cancer therapy.

Visualization of Cellular Membranes in 2D and 3D Conditions Using a New Fluorescent Dithienothiophene S,S-Dioxide Derivative

Cellular membranes play a key role in cell communication with the extracellular environment and neighboring cells. Any changes, including their composition, packing, physicochemical properties and formation of membrane protrusions may affect cells feature. Despite its great importance, tracking membrane changes in living cells is still a challenge. For investigation of processes related to tissue regeneration and cancer metastasis, such as the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, increased cell motility, and blebbing, the possibility to conduct prolonged observation of membrane changes is beneficial, albeit difficult. A particular challenge is conducting this type of research under detachment conditions. In the current manuscript, a new dithienothiophene S,S-dioxide (DTTDO) derivative is presented as an effective dye for staining the membranes of living cells. The synthetic procedures, physicochemical properties, and biological activity of the new compound are presented herein. In addition to the labeling of the membranes in a monolayer culture, its usefulness for visualization of membranes under detachment conditions is also demonstrated. Obtained data have proven that a new DTTDO derivative may be used to stain membranes in various types of experimental procedures, from traditional 2D cell cultures to unanchored conditions. Moreover, due to the specific optical properties, the background signal is reduced and, thus, observation may be performed without washing.