RESUMO
Targeting the supportive tumor microenvironment (TME) is an approach of high interest in cancer drug development. However, assessing TME-targeted drug candidates presents a unique set of challenges. We develop a comprehensive screening platform that allows monitoring, quantifying, and ranking drug-induced effects in self-organizing, vascularized tumor spheroids (VTSs). The confrontation of four human-derived cell populations makes it possible to recreate and study complex changes in TME composition and cell-cell interaction. The platform is modular and adaptable for tumor entity or genetic manipulation. Treatment effects are recorded by light sheet fluorescence microscopy and translated by an advanced image analysis routine in processable multi-parametric datasets. The system proved to be robust, with strong interassay reliability. We demonstrate the platform's utility for evaluating TME-targeted antifibrotic and antiangiogenic drugs side-by-side. The platform's output enabled the differential evaluation of even closely related drug candidates according to projected therapeutic needs.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Esferoides Celulares , Microambiente Tumoral , Humanos , Microambiente Tumoral/efeitos dos fármacos , Esferoides Celulares/efeitos dos fármacos , Esferoides Celulares/patologia , Neoplasias da Mama/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Microscopia de Fluorescência/métodos , Feminino , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais/métodos , Inibidores da Angiogênese/farmacologia , Inibidores da Angiogênese/uso terapêutico , Neovascularização Patológica/tratamento farmacológico , Neovascularização Patológica/patologiaRESUMO
Sirtuins are pleiotropic NAD+ dependent histone deacetylases involved in metabolism, DNA damage repair, inflammation and stress resistance. SIRT6, a member of the sirtuin family, regulates the process of normal aging and increases the lifespan of male mice over-expressing Sirt6 by 15%. Neurogenesis, the formation of new neurons within the hippocampus of adult mammals, involves several complex stages including stem cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and network integration. During aging, the number of newly generated neurons continuously declines, and this is correlated with a decline in neuronal plasticity and cognitive behavior. In this study we investigated the involvement of SIRT6 in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Mice over-expressing Sirt6 exhibit increased numbers of young neurons and decreased numbers of mature neurons, without affecting glial differentiation. This implies of an involvement of SIRT6 in neuronal differentiation and maturation within the hippocampus. This work adds to the expanding body of knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms underlying adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and describes novel roles for SIRT6 as a regulator of cell fate during adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
