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An integrated framework for quantifying immune-tumour interactions in a 3D co-culture model

Al-Hity, Gheed, Yang, FengWei, Campillo-Funollet, Eduard, Greenstein, Andrew E., Hunt, Hazel, Mampay, Myrthe, Intabli, Haya, Falcinelli, Marta, Madzvamuse, Anotida, Venkataraman, Chandrasekhar, and others. (2021) An integrated framework for quantifying immune-tumour interactions in a 3D co-culture model. Communications Biology, 4 . Article Number 781. E-ISSN 2399-3642. (doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02296-7) (KAR id:90463)

Abstract

Investigational in vitro models that reflect the complexity of the interaction between the immune system and tumours are limited and difficult to establish. Herein, we present a platform to study the tumour-immune interaction using a co-culture between cancer spheroids and activated immune cells. An algorithm was developed for analysis of confocal images of the co-culture to evaluate the following quantitatively; immune cell infiltration, spheroid roundness and spheroid growth. As a proof of concept, the effect of the glucocorticoid stress hormone, cortisol was tested on 66CL4 co-culture model. Results were comparable to 66CL4 syngeneic in vivo mouse model undergoing psychological stress. Furthermore, administration of glucocorticoid receptor antagonists demonstrated the use of this model to determine the effect of treatments on the immune-tumour interplay. In conclusion, we provide a method of quantifying the interaction between the immune system and cancer, which can become a screening tool in immunotherapy design.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/s42003-021-02296-7
Uncontrolled keywords: Breast cancer; Cancer models
Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA297 Numerical analysis
Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR180 Immunology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
Depositing User: Amy Boaler
Date Deposited: 29 Sep 2021 13:33 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 18:31 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/90463 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Campillo-Funollet, Eduard.

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