Research Highlights
Game Changer for Lymphoma Therapy Screening
VitroGel® RGD played a key role in preserving tumor architecture for effective drug testing in lymphoma research.
Category:
Organoids
Subcategory/cell type:
Tissue Fragment/ex vivo model – human lymphoma tissue (lymphomoids)
Institution:
Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
Team:
Albert Santamaria-Martínez, Justine Epiney, Divyanshu Srivastava, Daniele Tavernari, Marco Varrone, Dina Milowich, Igor Letovanec, Thorsten Krueger, Rafael Duran, Giovanni Ciriello, Anne Cairoli, Elisa Oricchio
Hydrogel:
VitroGel® RGD (Cat. No: TWG003)
VitroGel® played a The fight against cancer, particularly B-cell lymphomas, is challenged by the complexity of tumor microenvironments and the need for personalized treatment strategies. Traditional models such as cell lines and xenografts often fail to preserve the intricate architecture and cellular interactions of tumors, leading to less accurate predictions of treatment efficacy. Without advanced systems like hydrogels, maintaining the structural integrity and viability of tumor tissues in vitro is difficult, hindering the development of effective therapies.
In this study, VitroGel® RGD played a pivotal role in developing a novel platform for culturing lymphoma tissue fragments, known as lymphomoids. The researchers aimed to maintain the viability, proliferation, and structural integrity of lymphoma tissues ex vivo, which is crucial for accurate drug testing. To achieve this, they embedded tissue fragments from patient samples representative of different lymphoma subtypes in VitroGel® RGD which was diluted with different amounts of growth media to modulate the hydrogel stiffness. This setup provided a supportive environment that preserved the tissue architecture and cellular composition, essential for maintaining the original characteristics of the tumor. VitroGel® RGD contributed significantly to the results by ensuring that the tissue fragments retained their histological and molecular features. The ability of VitroGel® RGD to maintain the structural integrity of the tissues allowed for effective testing of various clinically approved drugs. This approach enabled the researchers to observe drug sensitivity in a manner consistent with patient responses in clinical settings, highlighting the potential of VitroGel RGD to enhance the accuracy of ex vivo drug testing models.
The use of VitroGel® RGD in this study addressed the critical challenge of preserving tissue architecture and drug sensitivity testing. By providing a stable environment, VitroGel® RGD facilitated the maintenance of cell viability and structural integrity, crucial for evaluating anti-cancer therapies. This innovative approach not only solved the problem of maintaining tissue structure but also demonstrated the potential of VitroGel® RGD in similar studies. Its application could extend to other cancer types, offering a promising tool for future research and personalized medicine development.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Lymphomoids are lymphoma avatars that preserve the tissue composition.
- Lymphomoids support the tumor microenvironment (TME).
- Lymphomoids can predict sensitivity to targeted therapies in lymphoma.
