Research Highlights
Revolutionizing Cancer Research: A Patient-Derived Platform to Model Tumor-Immune Interactions
Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit allows for high-resolution assessment of cell viability in patient tumor slices, enhancing precision medicine and immunotherapy studies.
Category:
Downstream Analysis
Subcategory/cell type:
Live-Dead Viability / patient-derived precision-cut tumor slices (PCTS)
Institutions:
Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Team:
Wen-Hsin Chang, Andrew I. Chin, Ching-Hsien Chen
Biomarker
Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit (Cat. No: BM01)
Cancer research has long been challenged by the complexity of tumor-immune interactions. Traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models often fail to capture the intricate tumor microenvironment (TME), limiting their relevance to human biology. Patient-derived precision-cut tumor slices (PCTS) offer a promising solution by preserving the tumor’s architecture and heterogeneity. However, assessing cell viability in these 3D structures has been a significant hurdle, as traditional assays struggle to provide accurate, real-time data without disrupting the tissue. Without advanced assay method, researchers struggle to accurately evaluate the viability of cells in these complex systems, hindering the development of effective cancer therapies.
In this study, researchers developed a patient-derived preclinical platform to model tumor-immune interactions and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. The platform integrates peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with patient-derived cancer tissue slices (PCTS) to establish a co-culture environment that simulates the human tumor microenvironment (TME). Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit played a pivotal role in assessing the viability of tumor slices before and during co-culture. By providing high-resolution imaging, Cyto3D® allowed researchers to monitor cell health without disrupting the 3D structure of the tumor slices. This capability was crucial for ensuring the reliability of the co-culture system and for evaluating the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab on tumor-immune interactions. Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit was able to distinguish between live and dead cells with high precision contributed to the study’s success in demonstrating reduced tumor cell proliferation and altered immune cell composition in response to treatment.
The Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit significantly contributed to solving the problem of accurately modeling tumor-immune interactions. It allowed researchers to overcome the limitations of traditional 2D cultures and provided a more physiologically relevant platform for cancer research. The insights gained from this study highlight the potential of the Cyto3D® Live-Dead Assay Kit to revolutionize similar studies, paving the way for more effective and personalized cancer treatments in the future.
