Investigation of the effects of Taxol as an anticancer drug on the biomechanical and metabolic properties at the proliferative zone of the spheroids generated from MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in a microfluidic platform

Hosseinzadeh, Mohsen; Allahverdi, Abdollah

Investigation of the effects of Taxol as an anticancer drug on the biomechanical and metabolic properties at the proliferative zone of the spheroids generated from MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in a microfluidic platform

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Mohsen Hosseinzadeh ¹

Abdollah Allahverdi ²

¹ Biophysics Dept. Faculty of Biosciences, Tarbiat Modares University

² Dept of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences

Abstract

Investigation of the biomechanical properties of cancer cells is essential for progress in treatment and a better understanding of cancer’s invasion mechanisms. Most of the research carried out in recent years has been done on two-dimensional cultured cells, while the study of cultured cells in three-dimensional mode is more difficult due to the growth of cells in all dimensions and the presence of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix connections. It is preferable to a two-dimensional culture. Three-dimensional cell culture, compared to two-dimensional culture, is physiologically closer to in-vivo environmental conditions, but it is currently not considered a common approach for cell culture and preclinical experiments. The lack of a suitable substrate and the limitations of common techniques in characterizing various parameters of cells in three-dimensional mode are considered limitations of this type of culture.

In this research, initially, the substrate was made using PDMS to generate a platform for spheroids, and then the formed spheroids were exposed to Taxol as an anti-cytoskeletal drug. Consequently, by imaging them for a certain period of time, their survival rate was checked, and finally, in order to obtain mechanical parameters, the spheroids’ outer surface was scanned by an atomic force microscope.

The results show that the drug Taxol could reduce the survival rate of tumors, and also affect the biomechanical characteristics of cells in a three-dimensional state. In this case, Young's modulus has decreased from an average of 4.84 kPa to 3.67 kPa under the treatment with Taxol.

Keywords

Taxol

Mechanical properties

MCF-7 cancer lines

Subjects

Nanotechnology

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