Chemotaxis of Tumor Spheroids in 3D Extracellular Matrices

Cytokine-mediated tumor migration (chemotaxis) plays a crucial role in cancer metastasis. Previous studies have explored the chemotactic behavior of single cells embedded within 3D extracellular matrices (ECM). However, due to the vastly different nature of single cells and tumors, a single cell 3D model cannot recapitulate the in vivo tumor invasion behavior. In this talk, we will present a 3D tumor spheroid model for tumor chemotaxis studies. Breast tumor spheroids using MDA-MB-231 cells were engineered and embedded within a collagen matrix. Tumor spheroid dynamics were imaged and analyzed when subjected to well-defined cytokine (Epidermal growth factor, hEGF) gradients provided by a microfluidic platform. Differential behavior of single tumor cell and spheroid chemotaxis will be discussed.