MCF-7 cells as a three-dimensional model for the study of human breast cancer

• Grant number: 11/14678-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: February 29, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Glaucia Maria Machado Santelli
• Grantee: Glaucia Maria Machado Santelli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 06/01026-0 - Functional characterization of genes potentially regulated by estrogen receptor and/or ERBB2 oncogene: implications in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer, AP.TEM

Abstract

The increasing use of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture is because it reproduces in vitro results similar to in vivo results. Multicellular tumor spheroids generated in vitro exhibit important characteristics of avascular tumors, mainly with respect to tumor physiology and microenvironment. The interaction among cells in a tridimensional culture environment enhances cell differentiation and leads to luminal formation in some breast-derived cellcultures. The present work describes a method that permits luminal formation in breast adenocarcinoma cell AU3c (MCF-7)-derived spheroids in a 3D environment. In the proposed model, several relevant parameters, such ascell survival, apoptosis, autophagy, and E-cadherin expression, were analyzed to understand the organization of MCF-7 cells during different culture phases, including luminal and bud formation. (AU)