DPK has developed homotypic spheroids of three-dimensionally-growing cancer cells from a wide variety of animal and human cancer cell lines.

They mimic the complexity of in vivo solid tumors, display a homogeneous shape and cell distribution, and constitute a highly-reproducible system for the in vitro study of cancer cells. Indeed, these organize in spatial arrangements where metabolic and signal gradients, central hypoxia, 3D-based intercellular communication, and position coordinate-dependent proliferation and gene/protein expression patterns are established. Generation of our spheroids does not require the use of extracellular matrix substitutes or artificial substrates for cell-adhesion.

The homotypic 3D-cancer cell spheroids represents a useful model-system for in vitro carcinogenesis and metastasis research. In particular, the differences in the cancer cell behavior observed between monolayer and spheroid culture stress the importance of including spheroids for any functional and therapeutic screening in cancer cells and tumor-induced angiogenesis.

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