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Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis

journal contribution
posted on 2022-10-27, 23:44 authored by N Al Balushi, M Boyd-Moss, Rasika SamarasingheRasika Samarasinghe, Aaqil RifaiAaqil Rifai, S J Franks, K Firipis, B M Long, I A Darby, D R Nisbet, D Pouniotis, Richard WilliamsRichard Williams
Metastatic tumours are complex ecosystems; a community of multiple cell types, including cancerous cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells that exist within a supportive and specific microenvironment. The interplay of these cells, together with tissue specific chemical, structural and temporal signals within a three-dimensional (3D) habitat, direct tumour cell behavior, a subtlety that can be easily lost in 2D tissue culture. Here, we investigate a significantly improved tool, consisting of a novel matrix of functionally programmed peptide sequences, self-assembled into a scaffold to enable the growth and the migration of multicellular lung tumour spheroids, as proof-of-concept. This 3D functional model aims to mimic the biological, chemical, and contextual cues of an in vivo tumor more closely than a typically used, unstructured hydrogel, allowing spatial and temporal activity modelling. This approach shows promise as a cancer model, enhancing current understandings of how tumours progress and spread over time within their microenvironment.

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Volume

8

eISSN

2310-2861