Engineered tissues for cancer research - deposition of breast cancer cells onto live, vascularized tissues to generate models for cancer-induced angiogenesis and metastasis
Confocal image of breast cancer cell (red) in the proximity of capillary vessel (green)
Fibroblast cells printed into a 4x4 array onto vascularized mesentery tissue at Day 0 (left). After 5 days, cells were observed to home to vessels and induced vessel network remodeling (right).
4x4 array pattern (center-to-center spacing, dspacing = 0.8 mm) populated by circular 'spots' of CTR-labeled breast cancer cells on vascularized mesentery tissue, imaged 2 hours following LDW. Mesenteric arterioles (a), venules (v), and lymphatic (l) vessels were readily identifiable by temporary lectin-FITC labeling.
Tumor growth requires uncontrolled angiogenesis, defined as the growth of new capillaries from existing blood vessels. Developing anti-tumor therapies necessitates understanding how cancer cells and their microenvironment synergistically influence capillary sprouting from existing vascular networks. We demonstrated the deposition of breast cancer cells onto rat mesentery tissue with intact microvascular network as a xenograft culture model for tumor-driven investigating angiogenesis. Our results suggest that cancer cells infiltrate the tissue and interact with endothelial cells by Day 5. Future work will focus on the cancer cell/vascular niche and tumor-induced angiogenesis.