The tumor microenvironment is poorly mimicked by 2D in vitro models, and these models do not accurately reflect or predict in vivo tumor response to chemotherapeutics. Given that the tumor microenvironment is a host for cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are linked to chemoresistance, metastasis, and progression, we investigated the effect of paclitaxel or cisplatin treatment on 3D breast tumor spheroids containing CSCs. A comparison of three in vitro models including a collagen embedded tumor spheroid model, a collagen embedded dispersed cell model, and a cell monolayer across two breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, revealed differential cancer stem cell response to paclitaxel and cisplatin. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with paclitaxel increased CSC biomarkers across all in vitro models whereas the effects cisplatin treatment on CSC biomarkers was model dependent. In MCF-7 models, paclitaxel treatment increased biomarker levels only in the non-spheroid models, while cisplatin treatment resulted in a significant increase in ALDH1A3 activity, a characteristic of CSCs.

Chemotherapeutics modulate cancer stemness in breast tumor spheroids

256th National Meeting (2018)

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