Breast Cancer Cell Type and Biomechanical Properties of Decellularized Mouse Organs Drives Tumor Cell Colonization.

Tissue engineering has emerged as an indispensable tool for the reconstruction of organ-specific environments. Organ-derived extracellular matrices (ECM) and, especially, decellularized tissues (DCL) are recognized as the most successful biomaterials in regenerative medicine, as DCL preserves the most essential organ-specific ECM properties such as composition alongside biomechanics characterized by stiffness and porosity. Expansion of the DCL technology to cancer biology research, drug development, and nanomedicine is pending refinement of the existing DCL protocols whose reproducibility remains sub-optimal varying from organ to organ.

The Multifaceted Role of Connexins in Tumor Microenvironment Initiation and Maintenance.

Today's research on the processes of carcinogenesis and the vital activity of tumor tissues implies more attention be paid to constituents of the tumor microenvironment and their interactions. These interactions between cells in the tumor microenvironment can be mediated via different types of protein junctions. Connexins are one of the major contributors to intercellular communication.

Real-Time Fluorescence Visualization and Quantitation of Cell Growth and Death in Response to Treatment in 3D Collagen-Based Tumor Model.

The use of 3D in vitro tumor models has become a common trend in cancer biology studies as well as drug screening and preclinical testing of drug candidates. The transition from 2D to 3D matrix-based cell cultures requires modification of methods for assessing tumor growth. We propose the method for assessing the growth of tumor cells in a collagen hydrogel using macro-scale registration and quantification of the gel epi-fluorescence.

Comparative Analysis of Cell-Cell Contact Abundance in Ovarian Carcinoma Cells Cultured in Two- and Three-Dimensional In Vitro Models.

Tumor resistance to therapy is associated with the 3D organization and peculiarities of the tumor microenvironment, of which intercellular adhesion is a key participant. In this work, the abundance of contact proteins was compared in SKOV-3 and SKOV-3.ip human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines, cultivated in monolayers, tumor spheroids and collagen hydrogels.