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A Self-Assembly Method for Creating Vascularized Tumor Explants Using Biomaterials for 3D Culture

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Cancer Cell Culture

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2645))

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Abstract

Validation of potential therapeutic targets in cancer requires functional live assays that recapitulate the biology, anatomy, and physiology of human tumors. We present a methodology for maintaining mouse and patient tumor samples ex vivo for in vitro drug-screening as well as for the guidance of patient-specific chemotherapies. The harvested tumor biopsy, excised from mice or patients, is integrated into a support tissue that includes extended stroma and vasculature. The methodology is more representative than tissue culture assays, faster than patient-derived xenograft models, easy to implement, amenable to high-throughput assays and does not carry the ethical issues or expense associated with animal studies. Our physiologically relevant model can be successfully used for high-throughput drug screening.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge support from the National Institutes of Health (R01HL106584). We also thank Julia Kahn for her help with tumor implantations.

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Correspondence to Despina Bazou .

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Munn, L.L., Bazou, D. (2023). A Self-Assembly Method for Creating Vascularized Tumor Explants Using Biomaterials for 3D Culture. In: Movia, D., Prina-Mello, A. (eds) Cancer Cell Culture. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2645. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3056-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3056-3_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-3055-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-3056-3

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