PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF A 3D LIVER TUMOR SPHEROID MODEL VIA THE USE OF A COMPOSITE COLLAGEN AND POLYMER HYDROGEL

Abstract

OVER THE PAST DECADE, THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN BOTH THE NUMBER AND COMPLEXITY OF VARIOUS ANTI-TUMOR THERAPIES AND DRUGS. THESE DEVELOPMENTS, IN TURN, HAVE NECESSITATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL TUMOR TISSUE MODEL THAT COULD ADEQUATELY REPLICATE THE IN-VIVO TUMOR ENVIRONMENT. WHILE VARIOUS DIFFERENT MODELS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM RELY ON THE USE OF NATURAL BIOMATERIALS, SUCH AS TYPE I COLLAGEN AND MATRIGEL, TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN MIMIC CELL-ECM INTERACTIONS. HOWEVER, WEAKNESSES SUCH AS HIGH COST AND MECHANICAL INFLEXIBILITY, REMAIN LARGE STUMBLING BLOCKS. USING HYDROGELS FORMED OUT OF BOTH PEG-BASED TRIBLOCK CO-POLYMERS (POLY(MTC-VITE)1.25-PEG10K-POLY(MTC-VITE1.25), POLY(MTC-VITE)2.5-PEG10K-POLY(MTC-VITE)2.5 AND POLY(MTC-OBN)8.5 -PEG8K-POLY(MTC-OBN)8.5) AND TYPE I COLLAGEN, A NUMBER OF THREE-DIMENSION (3D) MATRICES HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR TUMOR SPHEROID GROWTH. THE 3D MATRICES HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED FOR HYDROGEL CLARITY,