Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Cancer: Insights into Tumor Progression and Therapy

Advanced Therapeutics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 6, 2025

Abstract The extracellular matrix (ECM) serves not only as a structural scaffold but also an active regulator of cancer progression, profoundly influencing tumor behaviour and the microenvironment (TME). This review focuses into pivotal role ECM alterations in facilitating metastasis explores therapeutic strategies aimed at counteracting these changes. We analyse targeted interventions against collagen, including approaches to inhibit its biosynthesis disrupt associated signalling pathways critical for architecture cell migration. Additionally, therapies addressing hyaluronan are reviewed, highlighting methods suppress synthesis enzymatic degrade it, thereby mitigating tumor‐promoting effects. discussion extends innovative modulating stiffness, focusing on roles cancer‐associated fibroblasts lysyl oxidases, which key contributors remodelling mechanical signalling. By strategically modifying components, aim enhance efficacy existing treatments, tackle resistance mechanisms, achieve more durable outcomes. Insights from recent studies clinical trials highlight promise overcoming treatment improving patient Advancing our understanding biology leads development effective therapies.

Language: Английский

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An Empirical Evaluation of Neural Network Architectures for 3D Spheroid Segmentation

Computers, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 14(3), P. 86 - 86

Published: Feb. 28, 2025

The accurate segmentation of 3D spheroids is crucial in advancing biomedical research, particularly understanding tumor development and testing therapeutic responses. As emulate vivo conditions more closely than traditional 2D cultures, efficient methods are essential for precise analysis. This study evaluates three prominent neural network architectures—U-Net, HRNet, DeepLabV3+—for the spheroids, a critical challenge image Through empirical analysis across comprehensive Tumour Spheroid dataset, HRNet DeepLabV3+ emerged as top performers, achieving high accuracy, with 99.72% validation Dice coefficient 96.70%, Jaccard 93.62%. U-Net, although widely used medical imaging, struggled to match performance other models. also examines impact optimizers, Adam optimizer frequently causing overfitting, especially U-Net Despite improvements SGD Adagrad, these optimizers did not surpass DeepLabV3+. highlights importance selecting right model–optimizer combination optimal segmentation.

Language: Английский

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Matrix-Free Normal Human Epithelial-Fibroblast 3D Spheroid Cultures for In Vitro Lung Modeling

Methods in molecular biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Key parameters for designing robust 2D and 3D spheroid models for in vitro atherosclerosis research

Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 21, 2025

Abstract Atherosclerosis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease associated with the build‐up of fatty deposits (“plaques”) in arteries. A major global health burden, severe atherosclerosis progresses to ischemic heart disease, an underlying condition which can exacerbate occurrence fatal events such as attack and stroke. Over past two decades, use vitro models study atherosclerotic phenomena has increased, goal complementing clinical research for drug therapy development. In particular, 2D co‐culture models, last decade, 3D spheroid have been developed improve our understanding mechanism. However, existing literature lacks information on relevant parameters should be considered prior during design these promote model robustness enhance their biomimetic capacities. This review provides overview key parameters, well future perspectives how limitations field cell‐based improved. It expected that by carefully considering researchers will better equipped required knowledge develop biomedically clinically models.

Language: Английский

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Oxidized Xanthan Gum Cross-Linked N−O Carboxymethyl Chitosan Hydrogel Promotes Spheroid Formation of Murine Fibroblast by Increasing Cell−Cell Interaction and Integrin αv Expression

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 24, 2025

Naturally derived Schiff-based hydrogels are widely fabricated for tissue engineering applications. However, limited studies have explored how the physicochemical and functional groups on polymer chains affect cell behavior in three dimensions. To address this limitation, we cytocompatible N-O carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC) cross-linked with oxidized xanthan gum (OXG), incorporating various aldehyde (-CHO) contents (NO1, NO2, NO3) while maintaining a constant concentration of NOCC, resulting diverse viscoelastic content properties. The results demonstrated significant differences storage modulus (G') loss (G″), attributed to cross-linking density through imine bonds (-C═N-). These influenced murine fibroblast aggregation, spheroid formation, migration, proliferation, viability over time. Both NO1 NO2 exhibited good viability, slight morphology compared those NO3 Matrigel samples. further explore behaviors, integrin αV (CD51) expression was assessed using fluorescence-activated sorting (FACS) immunofluorescence. aligned prior observations, quantitative analysis expression, normalized 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) fluorescence, revealing notable 2.1-fold increase fluorescence intensity hydrogel comparison (p < 0.0001). findings indicate that composed 2% (w/v) NOCC OXG 1:1 (v/v) ratio represents optimal condition promoting growth formation. provide robust foundation future research aimed at modulating precise adjustments scaffold properties, thereby advancing potential translational applications from laboratory clinical settings.

Language: Английский

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Mimicking the Complexity of Solid Tumors: How Spheroids Could Advance Cancer Preclinical Transformative Approaches

Cancers, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(7), P. 1161 - 1161

Published: March 30, 2025

Traditional 2D cell culture models present significant limitations in replicating the intricate architecture and microenvironment of vivo solid tumors, which are essential for accurately studying cancer initiation, growth, progression, metastasis. This underscores need development advanced preclinical to accelerate research outcomes. Emerging 3D systems, particularly spheroid models, provide a more realistic representation tumor properties by capturing complex interactions occurring within microenvironment, including extracellular matrix dynamics that influence progression. Among breast remains most frequently diagnosed among women globally leading cause cancer-related mortality. Here we emphasize value cell-derived spheroids revealing differential molecular characteristics understanding during early stages invasion into adjacent tissues. Conclusively, this study urgent adopt platforms, given their contributions pharmaceutical targeting. may well offer transformative approach studies enhance our ability test therapeutic efficiency conditions closely mimic growth progression tumors.

Language: Английский

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Proteomic Analysis Reveals Cadherin, Actin, and Focal Adhesion Molecule-Mediated Formation of Cervical Cancer Spheroids

Cells, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 13(23), P. 2004 - 2004

Published: Dec. 4, 2024

Cancer spheroids are spherical, three-dimensional (3D), in vitro assemblies of cancer cells, which gaining importance as a useful model behavior studies. Designed to simulate key features the vivo tumor microenvironment, offer reliable insights for drug screening and testing applications. We observed contrasting phenotypes 3D cervical (CC) cultures. Thus, this study, we compared proteomes traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures CC cell lines, HeLa, SiHa, C33A. When cultured in-house poly-(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-coated plates under conditions suitable spheroid formation, these lines yielded exhibiting different features. Proteomic analysis cells 2D revealed similar protein profiles but remarkable differences expression levels some proteins. In SiHa C33A upregulation proteins required formation was insufficient compact spheroids. contrast, HeLa could form because they upregulated proteins, including cadherin-binding, cytoskeleton, adhesion necessary during remodeling process. Overall, study unravels mechanisms underlying commonly used lines.

Language: Английский

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Computational and experimental advances in liver-on-a-chip technology for cancer research: a systematic review

Biophysical Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 17(1), P. 151 - 167

Published: Dec. 14, 2024

The integration of numerical simulations with Liver-on-a-Chip (LoC) technology offers an innovative approach for studying liver physiology and pathology, especially in the context cancer. Numerical facilitate optimization microfluidic devices' design deepen understanding fluid flow mass transfer. However, despite significant advancements, challenges such as replicating full complexity microenvironment scaling up high-throughput screening persist. This systematic review explores current advancements LoC devices, a particular emphasis on their combined use experimental studies cancer research. A comprehensive search across multiple databases, including ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, Springer Link, Web Science, PubMed, was conducted to gather relevant literature. Our findings indicate that combination both techniques this field is still rare, resulting final selection 13 original research papers. underscores importance continued interdisciplinary refine these technologies enhance application personalized medicine therapy. By consolidating existing studies, aims highlight key identify challenges, propose future directions rapidly evolving field.

Language: Английский

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