Development of polymer thin film based culture platform for generation of uniform-sized spheroids

Abstract

Since two-dimensional cancer cell culture in vitro has low similarity to in vivo tumors, three-dimensional culture is used to mimic cancer occurring in the body. These cancer spheroids can mimic the properties of real tumors well and exhibit high drug resistance, cancer stem cell properties, and metastatic properties, which are known to be more similar to in vivo cancer than two-dimensional cultures. Cancer cells are known to have high cancer characteristics when they are three-dimensional cultured on a hydrophobic polymer surface. Therefore, in this study, it is intended to confirm that cancer spheroids with uniform size and high cancer characteristics of cancer cells are generated by applying a polymer with low surface energy to a microwell. A polymer thin film-based culture plate having low surface energy was manufactured through initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Uniform cancer spheroids were formed, and high cancer characteristics and expression of extracellular substrates were confirmed compared to cancer spheroids formed in microwell without surface modification. The study could be used as a suitable platform for drug development requiring uniform cancer spheroids