The use of hyaluronic acid in a 3D biomimetic scaffold supports spheroid formation and the culture of cancer stem cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting culture models capable of reproducing the pathological architecture of diseases are increasingly advancing. In this study, 3D scaffolds were created using extrusion-based bioprinting method with alginate, gelatin, and hyaluronic acid to investigate the effects of hyaluronic acid on the physical properties of the bioscaffold as well as on the formation of liver cancer spheroids. Conformational analysis, rheological characterization, and swelling-degradation tests were performed to characterize the scaffolds. After generating spheroids from hepatocellular carcinoma cells on the 3D scaffolds, cell viability and proliferation assays were performed. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy were used into examine the expression of albumin, CD44, and E-cadherin to demonstrate functional capability and maturation levels of the spheroid-forming cells. The results show that hyaluronic acid in the scaffolds correlates with spheroid formation and provides high survival rates. It is also associated with an increase in CD44 expression and a decrease in E-cadherin, while there is no significant change in the albumin expression in the cells. Overall, the findings demonstrate that hyaluronic acid in a 3D hydrogel scaffold supports spheroid formation and may induce stemness. We present a promising 3D scaffold model for enhancing liver cancer spheroid formation and mimicking solid tumors. This model also has the potential for further studies to examine stem cell properties in 3D models.

Anti-proliferative effects of paroxetine alone or in combination with sorafenib in HepG2 cells

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of cancer-related death. Sorafenib is the first approved drug for the treatment of advanced HCC. Depression is frequent in cancer patients. Moreover, sorafenib might exert depression as an adverse drug reaction and paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is a recommended pharmacotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the potential synergistic effects of paroxetine and sorafenib on HepG2 cell proliferation and death. Paroxetine and sorafenib were administered to HepG2 cells as single-agents or in combination. Cell viability was determined with XTT cell viability assay. Cellular apoptosis and DNA content were assessed by flow cytometry. The expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was examined by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. A lower dose of sorafenib was found to be required to inhibit cell proliferation when in combination with paroxetine. Similarly, the coadministration enhanced cellular apoptosis and resulted in cell cycle arrest. Confocal imaging revealed a remarkably lower cell density and increased expression of Bcl-2 following combined treatment of paroxetine with sorafenib. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the synergistic effect of paroxetine and sorafenib in HCC and might provide a potentially promising therapeutic strategy.