Summary
Published in Lab on a Chip (2018), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Olofsson, K., et al. Acoustic formation of multicellular tumor spheroids enabling on-chip functional and structural imaging
Acoustic formation of multicellular tumor spheroids enabling on-chip functional and structural imaging
Research Overview
Multicellular tumor spheroids model the 3D tumor microenvironment, but imaging and analyzing them at screening scale is difficult. This study used an ultrasonic standing-wave platform to form, stain, and image 100 whole tumor spheroids in parallel, with a protein-repellent amphiphilic polymer coating enabling production of high-quality, unanchored spheroids.
Demonstrated across HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma, A498 and ACHN renal carcinoma, and LUTC-2 thyroid carcinoma lines, the approach supports high-content, multimode analysis combining flow cytometry with in situ optical microscopy — a route to functional and structural spheroid studies at throughput compatible with drug screening.
Key Discoveries
- Ultrasonic standing waves formed, stained, and imaged 100 whole tumor spheroids in parallel
- Protein-repellent polymer coating enabled high-quality, unanchored spheroid production
- Validated across four carcinoma lines with flow cytometry plus in situ microscopy
